Frigid Flames
by Zephyrus Anemoi Fiction
Summary: Its strange how a chance meeting can set off a chain of events that draw so many people together.
1. Chapter 1

I suppose I owe a lot of people something else. Its quite the long story, but for those of you interested in 'this' story, I'll save mine for the bottom.

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To the uninitiated, there were several peculiarities about the castle that sat in the middle of the fjord. While on the outside, it resembled an otherwise normal-looking castle; though no less majestic. However the stables, which held a number of thoroughbred horses, also contained a solitary reindeer. The expansive courtyard doubled as a skating rink on certain Saturday's. And along with the castle's population of staff, politicians, advisors and royalty, it also contained a talking snowman that enjoyed greeting newcomers with a rather twiggy hug. All of these singular oddities made much more sense when placed alongside the fact that the high queen of Arendelle was host to frighteningly beautiful powers.

While Queen Elsa's command over ice and snow were enough to send many assassins and enemies scurrying for cover, there was one enemy that no amount of flying icicles or eternal snowstorms could control.

Paperwork.

The sun hung low in the western sky as Elsa sat at her desk; a proverbial mountain of scrolls, papers, and books obscuring her view of her study's door. In the month since she had accidentally frozen her kingdom, Elsa's workload had exploded. Trade negotiations, offers of alliance, even the occasional marriage proposal kept her frequently bound to her desk. For those who dreamed of absolute control over kingdoms and people; they never had nightmares of the sheer workload that went into managing them.

The Snow Queen rose from her chair, arching her back and stretching. She was beginning to lose feeling in her feet and her royal rear end had fallen asleep around an hour ago. She was long overdue for a break from the tedium of queenship. She strode from her study and out into the hall. Elsa was unsure of what to do to break the monotony of the day. Such spontaneity was more of Anna's modus operandi. She was the plucky youth who could go from sitting still to inventing a new game with total strangers in the blink of an eye; almost the polar opposite to the formerly cold and introverted queen. Elsa was brought from her quandary by the arrival of her handmaiden Gerda.

"Oh your majesty, are you finished for the evening?" She bowed slightly before falling into step behind her.

"I've decided I've done enough for the day, but there will still be a mountain of work waiting for me tomorrow."

"I suppose we all have our limits. Is there anything I may do for you?" Elsa paused.

"Do you have any suggestions for relaxation?" She asked.

"Well, there are plenty of books in the library, but I'd assume your highness has read enough for the evening."

"Far more than would be healthy Gerda."

"Hmm, your sister is still out with that nice ice harvester."

Yes, Kristoff was certainly quite the nice young man. Elsa owed him more than she could repay in a lifetime. He had come to the aid of Anna, not only in her ascent up the North Mountain, but in her time of need after being struck by Elsa's ice. An involuntary shiver went down her spine; there was something she wasn't keen on reliving anytime soon. Ever since the great thaw; the two had been inseparable. When he was down in the city selling his ice, Kristoff and Anna seemed to be joined at the hip. Where one went, the other followed. It felt nice seeing such honest love in her sister after the traitorous Hans nearly snuffed her out completely.

Even when not in Arendelle, Anna and Kristoff enjoyed traveling through the surrounding countryside. Anna loved spending dinner talking about the hidden lakes; deep forests, and secret mountain paths Kristoff knew about. In fact, that was a good idea to take her mind off her work.

"Gerda, please have the stablehand prepare my horse." She announced.

"Going for an evening right your majesty?"

"A bit of fresh air sounds like a good idea to me." She turned and walked out toward her room. As much as her queenly attire was comfortable, a gown was not suitable for riding.

After changing into a shorter dress and ridding leggings, Elsa made her way down to the courtyard where her horse Brego was waiting. Surprisingly, Anna and Kristoff were also waiting; the ice harvester unhitching his reindeer Sven from his sled.

"Elsa!" Anna cried, running up to her sister. "Are you going out somewhere?"

She smiled. "I've decided to have a short ride before nightfall. I'm beginning to see letters in my sleep."

Anna laughed. "Elsa, with how much time you spend in your office, I'm surprised you still know what sleep is."

"If you're going out, be careful on the paths." Kristoff fished a carrot out of his pack. "That storm from two nights ago left a lot of branches and trees down." He fed half the carrot to an eager Sven before taking a bite out of the other half. No matter how many times she witnessed their bond of camaraderie, it still made Elsa's stomach turn.

"Oh, and make sure you're back by dinner time," Anna reminded her. "The cook said he finally perfected that chocolate truffle recipe."

"Oh don't worry, I won't miss that." Elsa replied, accepting the reins from the stableboy. She climbed up onto Brego and gently spurred him on; departing from her sister and Kristoff at a light canter. She guided her horse across the bridge and out into the city. The people around her were in the process of winding down the work day. Merchants began consolidating their wares to be stored for the night, fathers began the trudge home to their families, and the children seemed eager to play one last game of tag before the sun finally set. Many of them called out to her, bowing or curtsying to her as she rode past. After thirteen years of isolation, it warmed her heart see that her people were willing to give her a real chance.

Elsa and Brego rode out of the city and into the forest, following a well-worn road that led along the coastline. As the wind whipped through her hair, she remembered what it was like up on the North Mountain that night. Let it go. She didn't know where the song had come from, but it felt so _good_. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she could accomplish so much with her powers. The ice palace, her dress, Olaf; what had once been a curse had finally revealed itself to be a gift. A gift she had pledged to share with the rest of Arendelle.

And Anna.

Elsa pulled back on the reigns slightly, slowing Brego from a canter down closer to a walk. In one short month, Anna had tried her damndest to make up for the thirteen years they had been apart. Wake-up calls, lunches together, secret notes left in her paperwork piles; reminders that she wasn't alone anymore. Elsa had considered having the castle locksmith remove the lock from her door but decided, rather, to give Anna a key to her room. Anna had tried to convince her to share rooms again, but Elsa preferred sleeping alone.

It helped on those nights when she'd wake up in a cold sweat, her room covered in ice and snow. Her control over her powers had gone from nonexistent to near perfect, while she was awake. During the night, however, Elsa still suffered nightmares; flashbacks to that day on the fjord, her sister frozen and dead by her own hand, Hans standing over her with sword raised. She sometimes even woke screaming her sister's name. It was to her utter shame that she ordered the servants into silence about these episodes. Even after so much work, Elsa still kept some doors in her heart shut tight. This time it wasn't out of fear of hurting her sister, it was out of fear of disappointing her.

Elsa's eyes passed over the horizon. The sun was beginning to touch the sea as it ended its daily trip across the sky. Its dazzling reflection forced her gaze away from the sea and toward the long shadows of the forests to her left. The trees grew right up against the edge of the road with some of the larger branches overhanging it entirely. Due to its frequency by merchants and traders, the road was commonly used and must have been cleared quickly by the mountain men. However they apparently missed one.

Brego stopped in front of the massive tree trunk. It had to be easily three feet in diameter, completely obstructed the road. Elsa was sure that Anna would have tried to have her horse jump over the offending roadblock, but she wasn't as daring as her sister. She manipulated her horse's reins to try and turn him around, but as she faced the forest, something caught her eye. There was a subtle breeze blowing in off of the ocean; the trees in front of her gently swaying back and forth under its influence. It didn't explain why one small patch of bushes were so vigorously jumping from side to side. Her horse especially was taken by surprise as Brego began whinnying and fidgeting.

"Easy boy, easy." Elsa muttered to her steed. She tugged on the reins to calm her horse as the bushes began to jump around even more. A nimbus of ice crystals began forming around Elsa's hand while she steeled herself to face whatever was coming. However she wasn't prepared for the leather-clad young man who so gracelessly stumbled out of the woods.

Before she could react, the boy toppled forward onto the path; his forehead striking the paving stones. Elsa dismounted Brego and knelt at his side. "Oh god, are you alright?" She asked, turning him over. The skin of his brow had been cut open and blood was already beginning to pour from the wound; covering his face and hazelnut colored bangs.

"Asverga," he muttered. "Tooth, toothle – " the rest of his words were lost to a horrendous bout of coughing.

"Can you hear me?" Elsa asked again. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket and began to try and stem the flow of blood from his wound.

Panic began to set in as his eyes closed and his body went limp. Elsa pressed a hand to his throat, sighing in relief as she felt a pulse in his neck. Something wasn't right. While Elsa was no doctor, she had read enough books to know about the human body. While his quickly paling face could have been attributed to the blood loss, his clammy skin and previous coughing could not. He was in danger. His life was in danger.

With strength previously unknown, Elsa heaved the teenager up by his shoulders. She faltered for a moment before draping him over Brego like laundry over a clothesline. She then dug her foot into the saddle's stirrup and hoisted herself on as well. Elsa could hear the him begin to wheeze, so she flipped him over onto his back and pulled him into a sidesaddle seating posture. One arm wrapped around his torso, she took the reins in her other and urged Brego on as fast as she could handle. The youth in her arm groaned and muttered several words under his breath. Elsa chanced a look down at him, but his eyes were still shut tight. She said a silent prayer as the walls of Arendelle came into view: please don't let her be too late.

()()()

"How was he just passed out like that?" Anna asked for the umpteenth time.

"Didn't she say he didn't pass out until he hit his head?" Kristoff asked before taking a bite of his soup. Elsa breathed deeply; trying very hard not to freeze her bowl of soup by accident. By the time she rode into the castle courtyard, the mysterious teenage boy was still breathing. She quickly handed him off to the castle physician who took him straight into a spare room. Even after assurances from the staff that she brought him in just in time, Elsa still needed to be alone to compose herself. After the return trip, she found herself shaking uncontrollably as she coated her room in a thin layer of frost. Elsa was able to dispel the frost once she had stopped trembling, but it still unnerved her.

"Do you have any idea who he is Kristoff?" Elsa finally asked. It was the first thing she said since filling her sister in on the details of what happened. The blond ice harvester paused.

"No. I haven't seen him with any of the other harvesting gangs, and no one around here has posted any notices about missing children."

"How old do you think he is Elsa, fifteen, sixteen?" Anna asked.

"That's a weird question." Kristoff scoffed.

"Well, I mean, he looks a bit young to be running around the forests alone, doesn't he?"

"I guess you're right."

Dinner continued on; what little conversation there was had been focused on the strange teen. However the conversation quickly turned circular with Anna asking questions no one had answers to, which would lead to more questions and more not-answers. Elsa excused herself halfway through the main course.

"Elsa?" Anna quickly rose and made her way to her sister's side.

"I'm fine Anna. Just a little riled up after today. I believe I will turn in for the night."

"Oh, ok." She leaned in close to Elsa's ear. "Do you want me to save some of the truffles for you?" Elsa couldn't help but smile at her sister's insistence.

"If you have the chef put some in cold storage for me for tomorrow, that'd be perfect." Anna smiled before embracing her older sister.

"You did what you could Elsa, you don't need to worry." Elsa returned her sister's hug before stepping backward.

"I know." With that, she quietly departed the dining room.

The moon was beginning to rise over the eastern mountain range. How long had it been since she brought the lad back with her? Was he even still alive? Her conscience getting the better of her, Elsa turned down a hallway that led away from her bedroom. She soon came face-to-face with the physician who was looking after the teen.

"Your highness, I was just going to look for you."

"How is he doing?" The physician, who was old enough to have cared for both princesses in their infancy, rubbed his temples with one hand.

"Your highness, this is something I have never seen before.

The snow queen's heart began to race as he led her back into a room. The teen she found was tucked away in a bed in a corner of the room. His head had a line of neat stitches across which had closed up the gash nicely. Now that she looked at him, she could see two small clouds of freckles, one on each cheek. She couldn't help but think of Anna at the sight of the spots. However the freckles only served to contrast against his still pale skin.

"He has a severe fever, perhaps contracted from somewhere in the forest. I do not believe the blow to his head has done any lasting damage, but he lost a good bit of blood before we stitched it up."

"Did he have anything on his person?" Elsa asked. "Money, a letter, anything we can use to identify him." The man motioned to a chair, where a green shirt and a peculiar leather and fur vest lay draped.

"All he has is what he was wearing. Though that alone isn't what troubles me."

Elsa steeled herself. A feeling of immense dread came over her as the physician stood over the bed and pulled back the covers. Her jaw hung open in a most un-queenly manner.

"As I said, I have never seen anything like it."

The boy's left leg was gone. Or rather, most of the limb below the knee was gone. In its place was a crude facsimile fashioned of metal and wood, literally tied into place by a length of cord. Bile rose up in Elsa's throat as she thought of what could have been done to warrant such a limb. "It appears to be an old wound, likely several years old. But why such an elaborate contraption?"

The physician moved the bottom of the pseudo-foot up and down. A spring inside the artificial limb pushed back, giving off a slight squeaking noise as it moved. She didn't know why, but the sight made her sick to her stomach.

"Doctor please don't play with it." She snapped.

"It's fascinating really. Most boys his age wouldn't have survived such a wound. But from the looks of it, this occurred quite some time ago." He apparently didn't hear her and continued to fiddle with the device.

"Yes his metal leg is astounding; a true hallmark of science as a whole. Now _please_ stop it." Elsa makes to swat the doctor's hand away, but he catches the hint. She shivers as the noise dies out. "Like nails across a chalkboard." She muttered.

"Regardless, I've dressed his wounds and given him some feaverwort to try and bring his temperature down. We'll see how he does tomorrow morning." The doctor covers the boy again with the blanket before withdrawing from the bed.

Elsa followed the doctor out, giving the teen one last glance. Only time would tell. Her heart still hung heavily for the lad's predicament, but her mind had already begun to look at tomorrow. Her financial advisor wished to speak with her, then the meeting with the house of lords, along with discussing plans for bridge repairs with a local stonemasons guild; she already had enough on her plate. Yet as long as he clung to life, the boy would be welcome in her castle.

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If you came here because Frigid Flames looked interesting, then I hope I satisfied you. Feel free to review about what you thought.

For those who came here looking for EOA or IM...

I know its inexcusable. It's been almost year since I've updated EOA, and even longer for IM. A year ago I graduated college and was flung into the real world. I could share with you my sob story of not finding a job for three months, or the BS I've had to put up with for my coworkers, but I won't waste your time. There's enough sob stories on the internet.

However during the time between my last update of EOA and now, my computer decided to have a fit. During that time, I was unable to access ANY of my story documents. I didn't LOSE any of them, but they were locked away on my hardrive somewhere. Recently I've worked around this, but I don't feel right in releasing the next chapters for my stories just yet. I haven't written in over 10 months, and I didn't want to deliver a half-assed story. So consider Frigid Flames a way for me to get back into the swing of things.

I don't abandon my stories for no reason.


	2. Chapter 2

If questioned, Princess Anna of Arendelle would have been quick to say that sleeping in was one of her greatest loves. Second only to her sister Elsa. And Kristoff. Chocolate was also somewhere on the list. But she couldn't forget that little *pish* sound a newly stuffed pillow makes when you sat on it for the first time. And Olaf and Sven were easily placed footnotes.

Ok. So if asked about her greatest loves, sleeping in was _somewhere_ on the list.

The princess in question had just finished embracing this love wholeheartedly; climbing out of bed well after the sun rose. Her mind still in a fog, she peeled off her nightgown, splashed some water on her face, and changed into the more princess-ey attire of a light green blouse and a darker green dress with stitched flowers decorating the bottom hem. She was in the middle of braiding her hair when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in." She answered back, tying a pink ribbon around her first braid.

"Your highness, please excuse my intrusion." The plump brunette Gerda opened the door and bowed slightly.

"Oh no, you aren't bothering me Gerda, come in."

"The queen asked me to remind you of the meeting with the financial advisor this morning." Anna's hands suddenly forgot what they were doing as the braid came undone.

"THIS morning," she asked. "As in the morning of today?"

"As opposed to the morning of yesterday, your highness?" Gerda raised an eyebrow; the only expression that she saw some amusement in the young princess' scatterbrained memory.

Anna turned to the maidservant and nodded her head. "Thank you for reminding me Gerda of my duties this morning." She replied, trying to sound as prim and proper as the manners tutor wanted her to be. "If you would please have someone attend to my room."

With that, she calmly walked to the door with a practiced and stiff demeanor. This was partially undone by the lopsided, half-finished braid that was playing out over her left shoulder, as well as her distinct lack of shoes on her feet. As soon as Anna left her room, Gerda could hear her peel down the hall in a panicked dash to the meeting. She chuckled to herself. "Oh, so very much like her mother."

The princess, meanwhile, was running all out to try and make it to an important meeting on time. Again. Really why couldn't Elsa just give her one of those little memo's she had the royal scribes make all the time? Sure it was supposed to get her into the habit of 'tending to the needs of our people and country,' but it would save so much time if Anna could take care of all that stuff _without_ making everyone wait around for her. Finally reaching the stairs, Anna decided to take the express route.

With a very un-princessly *whoop*, Anna jumped onto the staircase banister, sitting sideways as she slid down the varnished wood. A mad grin made its way onto her face as Anna picked up speed. She hadn't done this since the coronation ball, and holy cow it was still fun. The speed, the wind picking at her hair; she couldn't get enough of it. It was like she was flying; only her butt was also polishing the banister. Come to think of it, where _did_ the banister go?

It was a millisecond after she realized she had left the banister that Anna felt her right side collide with a multitude of pieces of metal. The resounding *clang* reverberated in her eardrums as her vision went pitch black. As soon as she felt the world stop spinning, Anna paused for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened.

"Umm, hello?" She called out. She blinked in surprise as her voice echoed more than she had expected.

"Oh my, Anna are you alright?" She could hear Elsa, but for some reason, it sounded like she was calling her from the other side of the castle.

"Elsa? Where are you?"

"Right in front of you. You seem to have that helmet on backwards." Helmet? Wait, didn't Elsa have the servants move those suits of armor away from the staircase? "Hang on, let me help you." Anna felt something pushing against her head momentarily before her vision cleared up. "There you go."

Anna was sitting at the bottom of the spiral staircase in a heap of misshapen and mismatched pieces of armor. Her sister was standing over her with a knight's helmet in her hands, trying and failing to keep a smile off her face. "Thanks. I don't know what went wrong." Elsa placed the helmet on the floor and helped her sister up.

"It might have had something to do with you sliding down the stairs."

"Yeah I don't know why. I used to be so _good_ at it. I had a lot of practice while…"

"While we were apart." Elsa finished.

The two sisters could feel as the awkward silence descended. The two had yet to really discuss what had gone on during the thirteen years they spent apart. Anna wouldn't admit it, but she was afraid what the real reason was. Elsa had hinted that she hid herself away due to Anna for some reason, but she refused to embellish on it. It was something she had been quietly agonizing over. Maybe Kristoff would know what to do.

"Hang on, let me help you with that." Anna tried to turn her head, but Elsa was tugging at her hair.

"Wait what?"

"Your braid came undone." Anna shivered slightly at the sensation of her sister's naturally cool hands against the nape of her neck.

"Thank you. I was kinda in a rush this morning."

"I could tell." The good-natured laughter that followed helped ease Anna's feelings about how her sister thought of her.

"So, what's this important meeting about anyway?" Anna asked.

"Part of it's about how the kingdom has been recovering after I froze half of it." She could feel her sister's wince through her hair. "

And the other part?"

"He didn't elaborate, but he said it was important. Do you have another ribbon?"

"Oh, yes I think so." Anna reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a blue ribbon. "I was gonna give it to Kristoff. "

"A favor from the brave princess to her valiant champion of ice?" Elsa teased, securing the blue strip of cloth around her sister's hair.

"H-hey, Kristoff is more than just an ice farmer."

"Oh right," Elsa giggled. "What did Olaf call him? Your 'Valiant and pungent reindeer king,'?"

Anna spun on her heel and stuck her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that I like how Kristoff smells." Elsa wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Oh really? I never knew my sister had a thing for pine tar and sweat."

"_Manly_ sweat." Anna retorted, wiggling her eyebrows in what she thought was an intimidating manner. It only made Elsa burst out laughing. It was infectious, and soon Anna found herself with a hand to her sister's shoulder in an attempt to keep herself steady. Soon the moment passes and they regain their composure.

"Well, I guess I'll have enough time to find a new ribbon for Kristoff."

"Oh, where is he?"

"He went into town. Wandering Oaken asked him to pick up some things from town for him." Wandering Oaken, the same trader who threw him out because he called him a thief?" One of Elsa's eyebrows makes its way toward her hairline.

"Yeah I know, I said the same thing. Turns out he's a lot nicer than he'd let on. Though for some reason, Kristoff hasn't eaten any fish lately. I don't know why."

The two of them continue to make light conversation and banter as they make their way into Elsa's study where two older men are waiting for them. One of them, a short, rotund man has a sheaf of papers in his hand. Gustav, Elsa's chief financial advisor, bowed when he saw the royal sisters enter. The second man; taller and leaner, dressed in a military uniform, saluted crisply.

"Your highness." He greeted.

"I hope we have not kept you gentlemen waiting." Elsa began, making her way around to her desk. Anna noticed it was still piled high with papers. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd been busy yesterday.

"It is no concern your highness," Gustav insisted. "To business then?" Elsa and Anna both sat while the men stood.

Gustav quickly dove into a long-winded discussion with Elsa about a whole host of things. Grain stores, lumber supplies, overhead, trade disputes; a whole manner of queenly topics. Considering she was second in line to the throne, Anna wasn't as in-tune to such discussions as her sister was. Her education had been focused more on etiquette, protocol, and less interesting topics. Her sister knew Spanish, Italian, French, German, a little Russian, and could read and write Latin, while Anna could just barley stumble through French. She didn't resent her sister for it. Anna knew she didn't have the head for debating trade figures and trying to decide which ships to send where. She couldn't help but feel that she was meant for something else.

"The recent negotiations with Corona are rather encouraging your highness," Gustav droned on. "Though I do believe more work will be needed before we can safely absorb the loss of Weselton's trade."

"I understand. Perhaps more personal negotiations would help expedite the process."

"Could we go there?" Anna injected. She'd spent an afternoon talking with the young couple from Corona. She got along fantastic with Princess Rapunzel. She took Elsa's ice magic easier than any of the other delegates, though Anna didn't know what she meant by 'convenient.' Gustav pondered for a moment, allowing Anna to drive the point home. "I spoke with Princess Rapunzel during the coronation. Corona has this big festival every year at the end of summer to celebrate her birthday."

"Yes, I have heard of Corona's annual Lantern Festival," Gustav agreed. "It is a month-and-a-half away. Perhaps meeting directly with the king and queen would be a good idea."

"My father always said that spoken words conveyed meaning no letter could reproduce," Elsa agreed, giving her sister a warm smile. "Now, Captain Orik, may I ask why Gustav asked you to be here as well?" The uniformed man straightened his back and gazed solidly at the sisters.

"I'm afraid I have graver news your highnesses. We have discovered why the French traders have been late. I'm afraid they were taken by Viking raiders."

Anna felt a shiver run down her spine. She could remember winter nights, both before and after Elsa's isolation, where she would hear stories of the barbarians of the northern islands. Her mother had insisted that no such warriors had bothered them in hundreds of years, but the older men had woven tales of their ferocity. Men who could bend swords and rip shields in two. Men so scary they would use the bones of their victims to decorate their armor. Men so large, it was said they could swallow a small child whole. That last one had kept Anna up for weeks on end.

"Captain, please explain." Elsa said diplomatically.

"Four nights ago, the watchmen on the southern sea wall discovered a man wandering around in a daze. They didn't understand what he was saying at the time, so they thought he was either mad or drunk. It was only after the storm passed that we got a story out of him."

Captain Orik allowed his shoulders to relax slightly. "From what the man told me, he was the only one to survive. Two ships, laden with warriors ambushed them on the first watch of the night. They were used to sailing peaceful waters, so the attack caught them completely off guard." He took a deep breath. "I won't go into details about what the raiders did to the men, but the only reason the one survived was because he had been knocked overboard by one of the Vikings."

"They didn't eat them, did they?" The question tumbled out of Anna's mouth before she could stop herself. Gustav seemed to snort in indignation, but Orik continued.

"Your highness, while these men weren't cannibals, the acts of torture they performed on these men are far to despicable for me to recount in current company." Elsa maintained a face of impassive observation.

"Did he have anything else to say, aside from what I'd imagine are vivid descriptions of barbarian atrocities?"

"Only that the raiders seemed keen on gathering up as much rope and chain as they could find. They even went as far as smashing the ship's capstan to get at the anchor chain."

"Have you found anything salvageable from the ship?"

"None, save for charcoal and broken timbers. Whatever those Vikings were after, they knew what it was."

Anna felt her mouth go dry just thinking about it. She thought Hans was bad. She thought the idea of being left to freeze to death by a man she once thought loved her was scary? The thoughts of such unspeakable terrors that these Vikings could bring would give her a whole new batch of nightmares.

"Captain, have any strange ships been spotted on the horizon?" Elsa asked.

"No, only merchant vessels and fishing boats." She nodded.

"Double the guards on all watches, I want the sea wall manned at all times. Do you still have the harbor net?"

"We will set it out each night." Orik agreed. Gustav then took his cue and began discussing the impact these raiders would have on trade. The captain assured them that he would and could defend the city with the men he had now. Then they began discussing the implications and repercussions there would be if Arendelle, traditionally a peaceful country, began training new recruits to protect incoming and outgoing vessels. Once again, Anna's attention began to wane, but this time she began slipping into darker daydreams. Being woken in the middle of the night to the sounds of shattered glass and screaming, seeing servants, advisors, her people, Kristoff, her _sister_, being thrown out of their homes to be slaughtered like pigs. For some reason, she kept seeing the face of her ex-fiancée among the brutish raiders; his sneer and sharp eyes piercing her before carrying her off to some ill begotten fate. Apparently she still needed practice at hiding her discomfort, because soon, the two men had soon requested leave of Elsa to attend to their duties.

Soon the two sisters were alone in their father's, now Elsa's study. Though they had both sat here before, this time it was different. The first great challenge of Elsa's leadership had been placed before them, and it hung over their heads like the Sword of Damocles. Anna felt as if dozens of former kings were in the room with them; silently watching the two. The elder sister reached out a hand and took Anna's arm.

"Hey, are you ok?" She asked, barley a whisper. The spell of the room hung over her as well. Anna wanted to speak her mind, admit to her fears, both rational and irrational. The words, though, caught in her throat. It was as if a thousand eyes were bearing down on her, waiting for a moment of weakness.

"I'm just hungry, that's all." She finally admitted. While no less true, the answer didn't even come close to describing the full range of emotions she was feeling.

"Well, you slept until noon. You missed breakfast" Eager to have something to take her mind off of the dark news, Anna quickly jumped from her chair and took Elsa's hand.

"That settles it, we need to eat." Elsa smiled and followed her excited sister out of the suppressive study.

"What were you doing up so late anyway," Elsa asked as the two made their way down to the dining room. "Did it have anything to do with our resident Ice Master?" A faint blush bloomed on Anna's face.

"What, NO, no no no, of course not. We said we'd take things slow. He went to bed pretty early actually. I was in the library." If Elsa wasn't royalty, she would have snorted.

"_Really_?"

"Yes really. I was looking at some of the books on fevers and colds." Anna rubbed a hand against the back of her neck. "I was feeling guilty about that boy you found. I thought maybe I could help him."

"Anna," Elsa sighed, but her sister continued.

"Then I thought I'd talk to Kristoff about it. I mean, he lived in the woods all his life. Maybe he knew what kind of fever he had. Though maybe I should have waited until Kristoff was awake, but he said he'd go see the trolls tomorrow. Grand Pabbie knows all about stuff like medicines and herbs." Elsa rested a cool hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm sure the doctor knows what to do. But thank you for trying to help." Anna smiled sadly and moved a braid behind her ear.

"I just, can't really help you with all your queen stuff. I'm not really good at it."

Elsa continued walking. "Maybe, but you're good at other things. Remember that land dispute you helped me clear up last week?" Anna scoffed.

"Yeah, but that was just because you looked up those laws about inheritance. All I did was make those two farmers talk about stuff."

"Sometimes that's all it takes," her sister took a deep breath.

"Anna, you and I both know that I am not the best with speaking with others. I was so concerned with hurting others, that I don't know how to connect with them the way you do."

"A fat load of good that did with Hans." Anna muttered darkly.

Anna and Elsa entered the dining room; already laid out for their late lunch. "Papa told me that there will always be people who repay kindness with evil; people who take advantage of others and see such open hearts as weakness." They sat down. "You musn't close your heart to the world because of the actions of such few."

"Wait, papa told you that?" Anna asked as the staff began serving their lunch.

"I might have paraphrased the last part, but yes. It comes with the territory of ruling."

Though the food was as excellent as usual, it did little to ease Anna's feelings of uselessness. "Yeah, but talking to people wouldn't do any good if Vikings invade." Elsa looked up from her lunch.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" She asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you've got the awesome ice powers, Kristoff is this big strong guy who flings around ice blocks like they're pillows, and I'm just some girl."

"Just some girl who threw herself in front of a sword for me." Elsa retorted. A servant brought her a small stack of papers, which she began filing through. Anna didn't have a proper response, so Elsa continued.

"I promise Anna, you're more than 'just a girl' to me. You're my sister, and one of the few people I trust completely." Anna glanced up from her plate.

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. Now, listen to this; it's from the Spanish ambassador." The royal sisters began discussing some of the issues that had been brought up by the foreign dignitaries after the somewhat disastrous coronation. Anna felt like she had a few good points to make; observing that the countries whose dignitaries had actually witnessed the event had seemed to receive it better than those who heard of it second hand. The difficult part now was how to use these countries to spread more positive influences to their neighbors.

The two continued their banter for quite some time, not noticing the sun setting behind them. The servants brought out dinner at the appropriate time, upon which time they were joined by a third party.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Kristoff!" Anna leapt from her chair and ran to the ice farmer. With almost no effort, he caught Anna in mid-leap and spun her around.

"You always do that whenever I show up." He pointed out, putting her back on the ground.

"Well, I'm always happy to see you. Especially when you've been out all day." Anna led her beau to the table and sat him down.

"How was the city today Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

"Just fine your majesty." He replied, somewhat stiffly.

"Kristoff, I told you, there's no need to stand on ceremony when it's just the three of us." He grins sheepishly as the servants place dinner in front of him.

"Force of habit I guess."

"_So,_ how did things go?"

"Finally sold off the last of my load. I won't have another order to fill until next week."

"That's great!" Anna gleefully shouted.

"Anna told me you were going to the Valley of the Living Rock tomorrow."

"Yeah, Bulda keeps telling me I need to visit more often, as well as talking with Grand Pabbie."

"I really must find a way to thank him," Elsa muttered. "He's helped us so much."

"Trolls aren't really concerned with things like gifts the way humans are." Kristoff took a long draft of his glog. "They're more in-tune with things like nature, the earth, and each other. It's why they're so good at reading people, but so bad at talking to them about it."

"Please don't remind me." Anna sighed, memories of the troll's little dance number flashing through her mind.

"Still, I don't wish to seem like I'm taking advantage of their kindness."

"I'm sure we can think of a way to properly thank them," Kristoff told her. "Just like Oaken tried thanking me."

"Does this involve more fish heads again?" Anna asked.

"No, actually," he began digging through his pouch. "He has some family who live in Germany, and they sent him some recopies he wanted to try out."

"Oh, any desserts?" Anna asked. She leaned over to try and look into Kristoff's pack. "

Man, I must have left it out on the sled."

"I'll go get it." Anna leapt from her chair and bounded out the door. She didn't hear what Elsa was trying to say. The thought of trying some new delectable delicacy was the only thing she focused on. Rounding a corner, she nearly collided with a pair of guards who were coming in from the main entrance. She stumbled out into the main courtyard and the brisk night air. Even though it was still summer, and Elsa's influence over the weather had abated, night time brought in the cool breezes off the sea. Though the flagstones underneath her stocking feet were still warm from the sun, the air around her was crisp and cool; just bringing in that nip that would make one long for warm tea and warmer blankets.

It was a moonless night, and the lights from the castle did not extend out very far into the courtyard. There were no lights up on the castle wall; the men long since used to walking their nightly patrols in the dark. She knew Sven was already bunked in for the night in the stable, so there was no one between her and her destination. It brought a very spooky feeling down upon Anna as she crossed the courtyard to where Kristoff normally kept his sleigh. The farther she walked from the castle doors, the quieter her steps became and the more uneased she grew.

Anna tried to focus her mind on what wonderful eateries that were stowed away in Kristoff's sleigh, but her mind kept wandering back to the discussion earlier. Vikings, raiders, cannibals; they were all back in full force. Them, and more. Anna hadn't normally been afraid of the dark, but that didn't mean she was fearless when the sun went down. The farther into the darkness she crept, the more it seemed as if she wasn't alone. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her; there wasn't anyone moving around in the dark. At least, there shouldn't have been.

"H-hello?" She called out. To her, her voice sounded weak and meaningless against the vast darkness that lay before her. "Is anyone there?" Silence was her only reply as she crept towards the wall. She could just make out Kristoff's sleigh sitting in the corner. She mustered up what little courage she had and marched towards it.

*crash*

Anna whipped around suddenly; her foot catching on the skids of the sleigh. She gasped in pain as the metal dug into her ankle. Overbalancing, she toppled to the ground next to the sleigh. Her hand found her foot; she could feel the warm, sticky blood well up underneath her stocking. Anna grabbed the side of the sleigh and tried to pull herself up. Against the blackness of the night, she could just make out a pile of spears that had fallen over.

And a large black shape standing next to them.

Her breath caught in her throat as the shape moved. It had to be as big as a horse, though shorter. She could just barely make out its movement against the stone wall; it was literally blacker than coal. Were those _wings _along its back? Anna tried pulling her feet up underneath her, but she grunted as she put weight on her injured foot. Whatever was moving in the night, heard her.

It turned its head and fixed Anna with two of the biggest eyes she'd ever seen. They were easily the size of teacup saucers, each one greener than an emerald with a black, round pupil set in the center. Her breath caught in her throat as it fixated on her. She knew it could see her. Those catlike eyes seemed to gaze right through her; as if it knew she was there this entire time. Its back arched as it began slinking toward her.

The pupils narrowed to two thin slits as it began to cross the courtyard. Anna had found her breath; coming up in short, panicked bursts. All thoughts of Vikings, evil princes and the like were banished from her mind. Never before had such icy terror gripped her heart. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. All she could do was scream as the beast lunged toward her.


	3. Chapter 3

I'd have to ask that people don't get used to this story updating every week. Ideas have been pouring out for this, but once I get back to writing for my other massive stories, my attention will be divided.

Well, here we go

* * *

"Do you really think she heard you?" Kristoff asked. The two of them decided to follow Anna at a more sedate pace. Elsa merely rolled her eyes as dignified as she could, knowing fully well that Anna paid about as much attention to her as a person did to the clouds rolling overhead. She knew Anna didn't do it on purpose; after the little fright she had in the library, Elsa was glad to see Anna rebound so quickly. It was something she loved about her sister. She knew how to carry on, how to push through the darkness to find the light. It was what brought her home and it would help her carry –

Elsa dropped all rational thoughts as the _very_ real sound of Anna's scream rang through the castle.

_"ANNA!_" Kristoff's longer legs carried him away from Elsa, who had to gather up the folds of her dress before she stepped out of her heeled shoes and ran as fast as she could to the main entrance. She could feel her heart skip several beats as a number of guards followed the pair. She knew that scream was Anna, but she had never heard such a frightful noise come from her sister. It wasn't like her. Not even the massive snow creature Marshmallow had been able to scare her. What monstrosity had managed to get the drop on her only sister?

She got her answer.

Kristoff, Elsa, and just over a half-a-dozen guards ran into the front entrance hall just as the double doors burst open. Elsa stopped in her tracks. Books had been one of the few avenues of escape she had during her thirteen year exile. She probably read every book in the royal library twice in that time. She was well familiar with the legends; massive, fire-breathing, winged reptiles that would descend from the mountains to steal treasure and consume and burn all in their path. Never before had she dreamed that such a creature would be standing on her front doorstep.

The dragon was smaller than the stories claimed. Its shoulders would come up to her waist, if she'd ever gotten close enough to it. It was black all over with small patches and spots a shade lighter or darker; clearly some sort of nocturnal predator. Its eyes were catlike, green where there would be white, and slit pupils that scanned the room. A flat head was bisected with a wide mouth, lined with short but sharp-looking teeth. A sound, somewhere to a screech and growl emanated from its throat; a warning to the humans that approached. It took up most of the entrance hall, flaring its impressive wingspan and being very intimidating to the guards.

Dragon attacks were not high on anyone's list of required contingencies. Most of the guards had drawn their swords, one of them pushing himself in front of Elsa to shield his queen. Yet it was a stalemate. The guards dared not attack the beast, yet it had not moved. It was as if the creature was sizing them up. The only thing Elsa knew for sure was that this thing was between her and her sister.

"_HURGRAH!"_

And apparently, so did Kristoff.

Seizing a pike from a suit of armor, Kristoff shoved through the wall of guards and charged the dragon. No one tried to stop him, nor join in his assault. Everyone was simply stunned by the sheer audacity of the humble ice farmer. He raised the polearm over his head, as if it was his pickaxe, prepared to strike the monster that stood before him. However the creature was unimpressed. It shook its head once and opened its mouth.

With a sound unlike any heard before, a ball of purple flame erupted from the dragon's mouth. It sailed across the hall, striking Kristoff clean in the chest. Elsa gasped as a concussive jolt knocked him off his feet, sending the pike he had been wielding sliding across the room. The ice farmer flew backward and landed in a crumpled heap, not far from the guards. It was truly angry now. It gave another screeching cry and leapt across the room, fangs bared and claws extended.

Elsa didn't have time to think. She would not allow her guards slaughtered by this intruder. She shoved aside the man in front of her and threw her arms out. Instantly, a wall of ice sprung up from the floor, quickly towering over her and the guards. The monster, though, had quick reflexes. Instead of colliding head first with the barrier, it dug its claws into the ice and jumped up and over it. Elsa's jaw dropped open as the beast's wings flared open, carrying it clear over their heads. Just as it was about to collide with the wall behind them, it threw out its claws and jumped away. With another fearsome screech, it tore off down the hall, leaving them alone in the corridor.

"By the Lord Almighty," one of the guardsmen whispered.

"It can't be." Another gasped. Elsa could hear rattling as swords shook in their sheaths; the guards nervous fingers creating a cacophony of sounds. Looking down, Elsa realized that her hands were shaking as well. She brought them together, trying to relax them and herself. The ice wall in front of her began to melt, revealing a stirring Kristoff lying on the stone floor. One arm clutched his stomach while the other scrambled around on the floor, looking for something. Elsa's mind was beginning to tick. That dragon was after something. Wild animals don't just randomly run into people's houses, let alone highly-defended castles. Whatever it wanted, they needed to head it off.

"You two," she pointed to the whispering guardsmen. "Tend to Kristoff and my sister." She motioned with her hand to the downed ice farmer. "The rest of you, come with me."

"Your highness?" One of them asked.

"We must find that creature."

"Oh my,"

"You saw what it did!" One panicked guard shouted. She didn't verbally reply. Rather, she twirled her wrist, letting her magic flow past her fingertips. A fencing foil, made from her densest ice, fell into her hands. Her guards gawked at her with open mouths as she swung the sword back and forth, testing its balance.

"Gentlemen," she spoke, her words icy and cold. "Follow me." She turned and ran off down the hallway, after the intruder.

Elsa could hear the sound of trampling boots behind her, and the sounds of horrified screams in front of her. Her heart beat faster the farther into the castle they traveled. Through hallways and up stairs, their group grew as more guards were rallied to their queen. Evidence of the creature's rampage made it an easy trail to follow; overturned pots, upended tables, crooked or broken artwork, and numerous servants who shakingly pointed in the direction the monster headed, those who had not been scared stiff by the sight of it. In the back of her mind, Elsa noted that there was a distinct lack of blood, viscera and death; three things one would instantly associate with a dragon attack.

The screams grew louder, now intermingled with the screeches of the dragon. She paused as they came to a bend in the hallway. Two maidservants came screaming round the corner.

"Wha, the, _monster_!" One of them screamed before passing out. The other shook like a leaf in a gale as two guards came up to her.

"I-i-i-it's there." She whispered, pointing back behind her. Elsa nodded and walked forward.

"Your highness, you can't be serious." Captain Orik had joined them, roused from his sleep by the commotion.

"I will not have these men needlessly slaughtered captain. Wait for my signal." With that, she left her guards to tend to the two maids before turning the corner to confront the beast.

It was stuck in a dead end, four doors leading off into rooms on both the left and right. It was scratching at the back wall, nose pressed up against the wood. Wings fully extended, standing on its hind legs, it made for a very intimidating figure. Elsa's eyes, however, were drawn to a mound of leather attached to its back. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a round piece of metal attached to a strap on its back.

"A saddle?" She whispered, mystified as to who would have attached a riding saddle to a beast like this.

The dragon ceased its pawing and dropped to all fours. Its long, whip-like tail snaked around as it turned its body until Elsa was once again staring into the cat-like eyes of the beast. A low growl escaped its barred teeth, its back arched; its entire being trained solely on the Snow Queen. Elsa brought the foil up to her eyes, drawing one foot back behind her. She slipped into the fencing stance she'd been taught when she was younger, though her left hand stayed at her side, rather than being pulled in behind her torso. Twirling her fingers, a small nimbus of snow and ice began to form around them; her answer to any of the dragon's fire.

The two stood there for what seemed like an eternity; neither party making a move. Crystal blues and forest greens were unwavering, waiting for an opening in their opponent's guard. Elsa regarded her foe with a mental checklist of questions. _'Why hadn't it tried to eat anyone? Wouldn't it much prefer burning the castle and taking its spoils from within? What is it doing here? What is it looking for?' _It wasn't long before the first move was made

The dragon's wide nostrils flared in an attempt to intimidate her. However, rather than follow through with a growl or shriek, it raised its head. To Elsa's surprise, its pupils dilated into round, black orbs. It sniffed the air again, taking in deep breaths of air. It shook its head quickly from one side to the other; sniffing more and more as it looked at the doors alongside the hall. Finally, it turned and faced the farthest door on the right. It shrieked again, but this time it didn't seem to be a shrill cry of defiance. It rammed its head against the door, shaking the entire hallway as its skull impacted against the wood.

The noise brought Elsa's guards running. The dragon, seeing the men ready their weapons, shrieked and battered the door again.

"We have it trapped!" Orik shouted as he charged forward. A sharp hissing noise rent the air. Like a bullwhip, the dragon's tail lashed out and caught Orik in the chest, flinging him against the wall. Another purple ball of fire was loosed from the monster's mouth, shattering the door's lock and blowing it open. It charged in, with Elsa and the guards following suit.

To Elsa's surprise, the room it had so feverishly broken into was not a storeroom or library. Rather, inside was just another one of the many vacant rooms in the castle; reserved for dignitaries and other visitors. Only, when Elsa caught sight of the green shirt and leather vest lying on an upturned chair, she realized that the room wasn't as vacant as she thought. "Oh god." She muttered, as the dragon leapt from the floor onto the bed. The dragon shrieked as it began nosing through the bedsheets and comforters piled high over the unconscious teen. Pillows were ripped in bursts of white down as the dragon finally exposed his body.

"Get back you ungodly beast!" Her soldiers stepped forward, swords and spears at the ready. They began to charge, only for the dragon to unleash a massive barrage of fire blasts. They impacted on the stone floor, singing the carpet and sending her men into disarray. Every attempt to step forward was repelled with either the dragon's fire or lashes from its tail. The closer the men got, the more frantic the dragon's attacks became.

One-by-one, the men ran from the room. Elsa, herself, found herself stepping backward away from the fierce onslaught. As she drew level with the doorway, she locked eyes once more with the dragon. They had returned to their slit-pupil state, brow furrowed and teeth bared, the dragon was angry. It stood on the bed with flared wings and an arched back, reminding her of a threatened cat. Only instead of standing over its dinner, the human that lay underneath it was whole and unblemished. In fact, Elsa thought she saw his chest rise and fall with his breath. With one last glance at the dragon, Elsa called forth her powers; raising a barrier of ice in the doorway to seal the monster within.

"Your highness," Orik was staggering toward her, propped up by one of his men. "Are you alright?"

"You should be more concerned with yourself Captain. You took quite the blow." He nursed his ribs with one hand.

"Bruised, but I don't feel anything broken. What of the beast? Is it dead?" A screech emanated from the room, answering Orik's question for him.

"What is it doing here?"

"What does it want?" The men began muttering to themselves; those that weren't shaking in fear.

"Queen Elsa!" The soldiers parted, allowing Kai, Elsa's personal advisor and oldest member of her staff through.

"Kai, what is the matter?"

"I was about to ask you the same question! I get word that there is a dragon loose in the castle from your sister and half the staff?"

"Anna?!" A flash of panic set in. "Anna, is she alright?"

"Yes, yes she is. She and the ice farmer are being tended to. Minor injuries, only minor."

"What happened to Anna?" Elsa asked breathlessly.

"Apparently she cut her ankle on the edge of Mr. Bjorgman's sleigh." Elsa felt her chest loosen up.

"Thank god. Were there any other injuries?"

"Aside from Mr. Bjorgman's run-in with the dragon, no one else was hurt, save for the captain here." Elsa rubbed the back of her neck as she mulled everything over.

"Captain, Kai, something is off about all this."

"What can be more off than this your highness? A dragon attacking in the middle of the night seems to be quite off enough for me."

"Yes, but think about it. When was the last time a wild animal wandered into Arendelle?"

"Your highness, I don't believe such a thing has happened in quite some time." Kai replied. "

Yes, but this is no deer or wolf. This is a flying, fire-breathing dragon!" Orik exclaimed.

"Yes, but why wasn't it flying?" Elsa retorted.

Not a word was spoken. "Furthermore, if this creature is so vicious, why did it come all the way up here? If it were after human flesh, wouldn't it find an easier kill in the city?"

"Are you suggesting something your highness?" Kai asked.

"I do not believe this thing is simply a wild animal. It appeared to have a saddle on."

"A saddle? You mean someone uses it as a _mount_?!" Orik exclaimed.

"That's unheard of." Kai agreed.

"All I know is that we would be hard pressed to try and attack it tonight. There is no moon, and such a creature would be invisible to us. Captain, post men in this hallway armed with crossbows and muskets. Do not let it escape the room." Orik nodded.

"I shall send word to the men on the wall, should it try and escape through the window." Elsa nodded.

"Kai, I would prefer it if news did not spread into the city. I'd much rather have actual answers, should the people begin asking questions."

"I'll do what I can. What will you do now?" Elsa nodded to the two men.

"I must speak with my sister."

()()()

The scene Elsa walked into put her heart at ease. Seated atop a chaise lounge were her sister and the ice farmer who had worked his way into their lives. After the incident with Hans, Elsa had been wary about allowing another man so close to her sister. However, watching them had revealed so much of Kristoff's character to her. He never asked for a reward for his actions during the Summer of Frost. It was Anna who forced Elsa to bequeath him his new sleigh, along with room and board in the castle. He was incredibly polite towards not only Elsa, but all the staff of the castle. And now, seeing him with her sister's head in his lap, gently stroking her head while whispering quietly to her, cemented the notion to Elsa that Kristoff was nothing like the prince.

"Elsa!" When Anna saw her sister walk in, she got up from Kristoff's lap and ran to her. She stumbled a bit and almost fell into Elsa's waiting arms.

"When I heard you scream," Elsa began.

"It, it didn't attack me." Anna admitted, hiccupping suddenly. "It just kind of jumped over me. But Elsa, was that thing really a dragon?"

"It was. A real fire-breathing dragon." Just saying it sounded absurd. But after Elsa saw what it could do, it would be even more absurd to pretend it was something else.

"Didn't I tell you it was a dragon?" Kristoff asked. He stood up from the lounge. "It shot fire at me and everything."

"Wait what?" Anna relinquished her hold on Elsa and spun to face him. "When did this happen?!" Kristoff opened his mouth, but shut it quickly.

"When Kristoff tried to attack it." Elsa answered for him.

"You did _what?!_" Despite their height difference, Kristoff backpedaled from the princess. "Why on Earth would you try and attack a fire-breathing dragon," she began beating her fists against his chest. "You big, dumb, stupid," each word was punctuated by another pound of her small hands. "Running across a frozen fjord isn't enough? Now you have to slay a _dragon?_"

"He thought it attacked you." Elsa walked over and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. "He moved faster than myself, or any of the guards."

"Besides, he didn't burn me," Kristoff took hold of Anna's hands. "Just kind of singed my favorite shirt."

"Was it the one with the little red zig-zags?" Elsa could hear the onset of tears.

"No, it was the blue one with the green stripes." He pulled her into a hug as Anna began sobbing.

"That, that was the one I got you last week."

The two of them stood there for a moment, each one wrapped in the other's embrace. Elsa didn't want to break the spell their love had cast. After chasing a dragon through her castle, not knowing if it would kill anyone, it was nice to have a moment of quiet.

"Elsa," Anna's voice was muffled by Kristoff's chest. "Did you get rid of it?"

"Unfortunately no," she admitted. "It's holed up in one of the guest rooms. We're going to do something about it when the sun comes up."

"Right," Anna sighed. "Is, is there anything I can do?"

Elsa gulped. She thought for a moment, trying to think of how to word it properly. "Anna, Captain Orik and I don't know the best way to deal with this thing. I'm planning on sending out most of the staff, in case things get out of hand." Anna broke away from Kristoff and looked at her sister.

"Ok. So what can I do?" This time, she asked harder.

"I'm," Elsa looked up at Kristoff. "Do you still plan on going to the Valley of the Living Rock tomorrow?"

"I was. But I thought you might need me here."

"No, I have plenty of men to help me with this creature. I want you to take Anna with you."

"Wait what, Elsa?"

"Anna please," Elsa held up a hand to forestall any arguments. "Anna, I don't want any preventable bloodshed tomorrow. I need you to be safe. Arendelle needs you to be safe."

"Safe, Elsa what about you? You're the queen."

"Yes, and as queen, I need to see the end to any and all threats to my people. And I need to ensure the safety of my family as well." New tears began forming in Anna's eyes.

"You," she hiccupped. "You promised me you wouldn't shut me out again. What if something happens to you?"

"And what if something happens to both of us?" Elsa wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Anna, I'm not trying to shut you out. I promise. This is different. This isn't a threat that's going to go away with an act of true love. If the unthinkable happens, Arendelle will need someone to carry on."

"But how am _I_ gonna carry on? I just got you back." Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat. She felt her eyes watering as she rubbed her little sister's back.

"Anna."

"Nothing's gonna happen to Elsa feistypants." Kristoff reached and arm out and placed it on Anna's head. "Trust me, you saw what your sister did back up on the mountain. That dragon doesn't stand a chance."

Elsa let her sister cry on her shoulder. She could hear Anna muttering, but couldn't make out what was being said. Finally, Anna nodded.

"Ok. Ok, I'll go with Kristoff tomorrow." She pulled away, but thumped Elsa in the chest. "But you'd better promise me you'll still be here when I get back. Or, or I'll swap your tea with the guard's coffee again." Elsa couldn't help but laugh at her sister's attempt at blackmail.

"I promise."

* * *

Let it be said that I don't do what people think I'll do.

Isn't that right, Son of Artemis?


	4. Chapter 4

I know I said not to get used to weekly updates, but this chapter kinda wrote itself. I've noticed I've been getting a lot of anon reviews. I enjoy a bit of correspondence and banter with my reviewers, but since I can't reply to anons, I'll be making some comments at the end.

* * *

The sun rose over a tense and quiet castle. What few servants there were kept their noses to the ground as they went about their daily work. The soldiers fidgeted with their weapons. And the queen stood by at her window, watching a sleigh bearing two people disappear into the trees. Turning around, Elsa looked at the men assembled before her. Captain Orik, Kai, Gustav, and several other members of her cabinet stood around her desk, waiting their orders.

"Has the dragon made any movements during the night?" Elsa asked.

"No your highness. Aside from numerous shrieks, it made no attempt to leave the room." Orik replied.

"Madam, I've removed as much of the staff as I could," Kai began. "I've stressed how important it is to keep quiet, but you know how gossip is."

"I understand."

"What, what do you propose we do?" Gustav was running a handkerchief through his hands. He, and the other members of the cabinet were looking incredibly worried.

"My men are ready to attack." Orik banged the butt of his spear against the floor. "We wait at your command."

Elsa took a deep breath. "I understand Orik. And while I do not question the bravery of you and your men, I will not have unnecessary blood spilt this day."

"Unnecessary," her Minister of the Interior sputtered. "You cannot be serious! This beast is a menace. It will kill us all!"

"If it would, why hasn't it?" Kai's calm voice cut off the man's ratings.

"The dragon had several chances last night to cause Arendelle serious harm," Elsa looked her advisor in the eye. "It had my sister at its mercy, breathed fire at Kristoff, and attacked Captain Orik. Yet each one of them were left with only minor injuries."

"This _is_ quite strange," Orik's shoulders relaxed. "Now that I've thought about it, when we cornered it in the room, it only lashed out when my men drew close to the bed." Elsa maintained a façade of neutrality, but was glad someone was seeing the bigger picture.

"Dragons are the subject of many epics. But this one hasn't acted like them at all." Kai agreed.

"This is why I believe we can remedy this situation with fewer, if any, casualties."

"But, but, but." The minister began stuttering.

"Your highness, if I may." One of Orik's soldiers, a short but well built man named Peter stepped forward. "I was in the room last night when we confronted the beast. It reminded me of when I was a lad and went hunting with my father."

"Oh what does that have _anything_ to do with this?!" Elsa was slowly beginning to lose patience with her minister of the interior.

"We tracked a bear back to her den," Peter continued, ignoring the pompous politician. "Inside, we found three cubs. Though it didn't breath fire, the way the dragon lashed out at us reminded me of that bear."

"A dragon protecting a boy?" Gustav asked. "If this whole thing wasn't happening before my eyes, I'd say you've been on the bottle."

"Queen Elsa, didn't you say the dragon had a saddle on?" Kai was always a stickler for details.

"If this is all true, then maybe there's more to him and the dragon than we thought." Orik's eyes began shining as an idea began forming. "If we can draw the dragon out of the castle, then we would be able to deal with it easier."

"And bring it out into the city?" Gustav asked.

"What of the courtyard," Peter suggested. "With her majesty's powers, we can contain the beast and do with it what we will."

Elsa nodded slightly. "This boy appears out of nowhere, and a dragon follows a day after. I agree with the captain, he must be the key to controlling this beast."

"Has anyone looked at him?" Peter piped in. An uneasy silence fell over the room. As far as Elsa knew, no one had actually checked on him since the doctor initially examined him.

"What if he died?" Gustav asked.

"We would have the wrath of a dragon brought down upon us!"

"_ENOUGH_" Elsa slammed her foot down, bringing two ice pillars up next to her chair. "This fear mongering will get us nowhere. We have a strategy. All we need is to execute it."

"How," Orik asked. "We know nothing about our foe."

"I spent most of the night reviewing some texts in your father's personal collection." Kai stepped forward. "There was little to be found, save for some fairy tales from the highlands. All in all, they say the same thing; flying reptiles of formidable size and strength, able to breathe fire down upon their foes. Man-eaters, hoarders; a most perilous breed indeed."

The cogs in Elsa's mind began turning. "Hmm," she closed her eyes and stroked her chin, not unlike how her father would muse over the most difficult of puzzles. "We need to find a way to get the boy out from underneath the dragon and out of that room. But it has to be carnivorous, and we can't risk setting off its ire." "It probably knows our scents," Orik added. "Even if we were to catch it sleeping, it would know we were there." "So we need a distraction."

As Elsa opened her eyes, the sound of a familiar, nasally laughter caught her ears. The cogs suddenly all slot into place as she pushed past her advisors and opened the door to her study. There, in the hallway, she discovered not only the source of the laughter, but the distraction she was looking for. Orik and Kai followed her out into the hallway. "Your highness?" Kai asked. "I don't think that's going to work." Orik added.

()()()

The ice pillar that separated the dragon's room from the rest of the castle began melting. It slowly receded into the floor without leaving a trace of water to stain the rug. From behind it came a creature unseen by most of the world. Though short, it defied all logic with its very existence. It had no skeleton to speak of, yet walked like a man. It had no skin, yet its semi-liquid body retained its semi-malleable shape. In its short arms, it held a metal tray littered with the charred flesh of the dead, in an attempt to appease the beast within. Its empty eyes met those of the dragon as it lifted its tray and spoke.

"Hi there, Elsa wanted to know if you were hungry."

Olaf's friendly greeting did little to placate the dragon. The black creature quickly rose from its place on the bed. It reared back on its hind legs and whipped its tail around, striking Olaf in the torso. Instead of bowling him over, the central mound of snow was knocked out from underneath him while his arms, still attached to the tray he was holding, fell straight down to the floor.

"Oh look, I've gone all to pieces."

The dragon's brow relaxed as it watched the living snowman waddle to the corner where his torso had been flung. "You know you kinda get used to things like that," he confessed, trying to grab his snow-body with his mouth. "Though I still don't know why the dogs like my arms so much." Wedging his massive front tooth into his torso, he stuck it to his waist and rolled his head down onto his neck. "Though Elsa says I can pull myself together a lot faster than some of her maids." He aimed a goofy smile at the dragon. "I don't think you have that problem though."

With his body now back where it belonged, he waddled over to where his arms had fallen off. "Now, let's try this again." He shoved one shoulder down to where his twig-arm lay. "Hi, I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs." With his now-attached hand, he stuck his other arm back into his shoulder. The dragon was now curious. It slowly crawled down off the bed to better examine this creature. "Ah, I knew you were friendly." Olaf exclaimed as he bounced toward the dragon, completely devoid of fear. "I mean, Anna said you were big and scary, but Elsa just said you were hungry."

The dragon turned its face from Olaf to the silver tray he carried. "Yeah, so we have some roast chicken, some pork," he began listing off the assortment of meats that he had been supplied with. "I know Alfonse put some sausage on there but let me tell you, I don't know what he put _in_ them. You know what I'm saying?" Olaf tried waggling his eyebrows, though the effect was lost on the dragon, who had never even heard of a sausage, let alone knew what one normally put in them.

Olaf watched as it sniffed a piece of fish. A strange garble which sounded like the purr of a cat bellowed from its throat as he seized it in his teeth. Lifting its head back, it swallowed it whole. "Oh, well it looks like we made some progress here." He laughed as the beast began sniffing at some of the other meats on the tray. The snowman left it to its meal as he investigated the creature. "Wow, this is some nice craftsmanship." He ran a twiggy hand over the leather strapping around its neck as if he could feel the leather to gauge its quality. "And just look at all these pouches. Wow. I bet you could carry a lot of carrots in these."

Curiosity getting the better of him, Olaf began rummaging through one of the pouches on the saddle. Inside, he found a leather-bound book, along with a sheaf of paper held together with a length of cord. "Wow, these must be really interesting," he commented, thumbing through the papers. "Well, if I could read I mean." They were covered in a series of strange runes that looked similar to the ones he saw in Elsa's study. He then came across a paper devoid of runes.

It was a charcoal-sketched picture. In it, a large, flat stone was laid out against some wooden floorboards. And on top of it, lay the very same dragon that stood next to him. However, rather than looking ferocious and intimidating, the picture reminded Olaf of Sven. Well, if Sven had wings he could wrap himself with, and if his tail was long enough to touch his snout. And the dragon having antlers would look kinda silly too. But the relaxed face, the big wet eyes, and even his tongue flopped out reminded Olaf of the big reindeer that followed Kristoff around.

A low hum over his shoulder caught Olaf's attention. The dragon's wide snout was looking at the sketch. Olaf could hear the soft purrs coming from his throat. "This is you, isn't it?" He asked, waving around the drawing. He could hardly believe it, but the dragon nodded. Olaf couldn't help but gasp. "Someone drew this for you, didn't they?" The dragon nuzzled the drawing. "Someone loves you, don't they?" It turned to face the bed and nuzzled the boy lying on it.

"Oh, I know this must be really hard for you," Olaf reached up and rubbed the dragon's shoulder. "I mean, love means putting someone else before you. Like riding a smelly pack animal across a frozen fjord in the middle of a raging blizzard. Or shutting yourself away from family for years to protect them. Or." Olaf looked at how the dragon's eyes never left the prone figure on the bed. "Or running into a strange castle filled with killing things to find someone."

If he had tear ducts, he would be crying. He reached around to the dragon's face and wrapped both arms around it. "It's ok. Everything's going to be fine." He scratched the top of the dragon's head with his carrot nose. "Elsa knows you're not here to turn everyone into a mushy red people-chowder. And Kristoff said he was going to ask the trolls for something to help your friend." He let go of the dragon's head and looked right into its big round eyes.

"Love will thaw. I promise."

For once, since its arrival in the castle, the dragon seemed to understand. It nodded to the snowman. Devoid of any hostility, it jumped back up onto the bed and curled itself around the boy. Olaf nodded back and picked up the tray, book, and papers from the floor. "I'll see you around, ok?" He waddled out of the room, his trademark grin plastered on his face. However, that grin was wiped clean as soon as he saw who was waiting for him outside.

Elsa, Captain Orik, and two dozen guards were standing outside, waiting for their cue. Armed with spears, crossbows, muskets, and with Elsa holding an ice sword and shield, they were obviously prepared to drag the boy and dragon out of the room with whatever force was necessary. The only thing they had been waiting for was the right opportunity.

An opportunity that was to be provided by Olaf.

One of the guards smacked his free hand to his forehead.

"Oh. I messed up, didn't I?"

()()()

There was a distinct nip in the air as the two of them drew closer to the tree line. Having left the paved streets of Arendelle, Sven had been able to run much faster to make up for lost time. While the skis on the sleigh weren't as smooth as they were over snow, they were still better than wagon wheels. Anna sat next to Kristoff in the front, a blanket tucked in around her to ward off the cold. She listened as the wind whistled past her ears. Normally this would have brought a smile to her face, spending time with one of the two people she most cared about in the whole world. However, something in her stomach didn't feel right.

"So, I packed those sandwiches you liked," Kristoff told her. "I mean, I know this isn't supposed to be a picnic, but knowing Grand Pabbie, we'll be up here for lunch."

"That's good." She replied. As much as she loved Alfonse's food, she didn't think it would sit well inside her. Part of her knew this was important; her family had been seeking the counsel of the trolls since Arendelle was founded. Not to mention they had told her the secret to thawing not only her heart, but that of her sister's as well. But still, another part of her felt that she shouldn't be up here, but back down in the city. She was more than just a spare; a backup in case Elsa croaked. She could do _something_.

Right?

Anna thought back to the night before. The way the dragon's eyes had seemed to look right into her soul. The way it's mouth opened to the most amount of teeth she'd ever seen. How all she did was scream to be rescued as she lay helpless on the ground. The way her skin felt as the nimbus of ice played its way across her body. The unshakable chill that could not be chased away or suppressed. The malice that shone in his eyes as he sneered at her helpless form.

"Anna?" One hand off the reins, Kristoff laid his other hand on her shoulder. His eyes were different than the ones that looked back at her that cold afternoon. They were only for her, and only showed the concern and love that he held for her. She felt a lump in her throat at the thought of divulging what was really wrong. It was bad enough that she couldn't help her sister. What would he think of her if she couldn't help herself.

"I'm just, worried."

"About Elsa?"

"About a lot of things." She played with her braid, something she did when she was nervous. "Elsa, the dragon, the castle, everyone, you."

"_Me?_"

"Yes you." She turned to Kristoff. "What were you thinking? That dragon could have killed you. Elsa was there with you. Why didn't you let her handle it."

"Because." Anna saw a telltale blush spread across Kristoff's cheeks.

"Because?"

"Yes. Because."

"You know it's improper grammar to use 'because' to begin a sentence."

"Yes, well I didn't have grammar lessons, so I didn't know."

"But you know now." She crossed her arms over her chest. "So why."

"Because," he raised a hand and scratched the back of his head. He buried his chin in his shirt collar and muttered something.

"I didn't hear you."

"Because I couldn't help you the last time." Anna tilted her head in confusion.

"Last time? I've only been attacked by a dragon once."

"No. The last time I nearly lost you." She couldn't help but gasp.

"Hans?" She asked.

"I saw him out on the fjord with that sword. I couldn't do anything for you, for Elsa. I just stood there like an idiot. _Then_ you went and punched him off the boat and he got arrested."

"Yeah but," Anna was short for words. "You still ran all the way back to Arendelle with me. And you brought me to the trolls. _And_ you, you did a lot for me." Kristoff's shoulder's sagged.

"Still, that doesn't mean I couldn't protect you from that creep."

"Kristoff." She wished she could say more to alleviate his sorrow. The only thing she could think about was the itching bandage on her ankle. While it didn't impair her walking much, it was still a reminder of what happened last night.

Realizing that at least one of them needed to feel better about themselves, Anna reached over and wrapped her arms around his chest.

"Kristoff, I don't care what happens. I will never forget what you _did_ do for me." She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you." He caressed her cheek with his free hand.

"I love you too feistypants." He leaned into a deeper kiss, his hand still at her cheek. She wanted to climb into his lap, wrap the blanket around the two of them, and forget all about dragons, freezing, bad dreams, and a certain prince who shall continue to go unnamed.

However they had a job to do, one that Anna knew was drawing closer. The moss-covered rocks and steam vents were starting to look familiar. Part of her dreaded having another run-in with the trolls, considering what happened last time. But Kristoff seemed adamant that they'd behave themselves this time. She personally hoped so.

Finally, Sven came to a stop. Kristoff got out and unhitched him from the harness, letting him gallop off into the clearing. He walked around and offered Anna a hand out of the sleigh. As she moved to accept it, she banged her ankle against the running board. Her whole body flinched in pain.

"Anna, are you alright?" He drew closer.

"Yeah, it's just my foot."

"Can you stand?" She thought for a moment, recalling how upset he was that he couldn't help her in her time of need. Deciding to cater to his feelings, as well as indulge herself a bit, she extended her arms.

"Could, could you carry me, please?"

A look of confusion passed over his face before Kristoff's mouth broke out into that stupid grin he wore sometimes. He leaned over and wrapped her up in her blanket before hefting her in his arms, like she was weightless. Anna sighed in contentment, leaning her head against his broad shoulder. She didn't need to look up to know that he was looking at her. It felt good, resting in his arms. It was as if nothing could touch her while he held her. Part of her, deep down, remembered her papa carrying her back to bed after staying outside Elsa's door all day. There was nothing that could disturb her. She was at peace.

The rocks around them began rolling toward them. Kristoff stopped in the center of the clearing as the rocks unfolded into the shapes of his adopted troll family. While they all looked the same to her, she could still spot some familiar faces here and there. It was the first time she'd visited since the Summer of Frost, and she still felt a bit awkward.

"Hey everybody." Anna poked a hand out from underneath her blankets, waving to the trolls. Not a sound came from them, until Bulda pushed her way to the front of the crowd.

And opened her big mouth.

"They got married without us."

* * *

Review Responses:

**Impressed**: I wish you had an account so we could correspond properly. It's incredibly satisfying to know some people see so much detail in my stories to leave such an in-depth review. I'm never good at writing action, so I'm glad you liked it. It's the little things in a story, like reactions to characters and background info that I think really make up the meat and potatoes of it. Not to mention it's great for setting up later plot points and twists. And as far as Kai goes, him and Gerda are in a LOT of Frozen fics. I'm just continuing the cycle.

**Pianist707**: Crossovers are a personal favorite of mine. Especially when the characters meld together properly. Hell almost all of my stories are crossovers one way or another. You can never have one tone for a story, let alone one chapter. It stagnates things. I try to have levity, compassion, romance, and suspense as often as I can, and as often as it calls for. Also I hope you 'like' my sisterly bonding and queenly duties rambling.

**Zype**: Flattered, but I don't think I count as a 'sister'.

**The great fan**. Well I'm glad to impress

I hope you all like where I'm going. I know HTTYD and Frozen have major followings, especially among artists. I'm not trying to 'formally' commission anything, but if anyone makes some good art, I'll post it as the avatar for this fic.


	5. Chapter 5

I probably should have told you beforehand, but this story takes place well after the first movie, during the continuity of the Dragons cartoon series. I know some of you might not have seen it, but don't worry. I will explain any major plot points of the show that I use in my story.

That being said, Frozen is the intellectual property of the Walt Disney corporation, and How To Train Your Dragon, along with Dragons: Riders/Defenders of Berk are property of Dreamworks Animation and Cartoon Network.

I own nothing. One great big stinking hunk of NOTHING

* * *

_Gothi and dad were talking with each other today; at least as much as Gothi ever talks. Apparently that blizzard that froze the ocean wasn't a natural blizzard. It came from farther south, farther south than any Viking from Berk has traveled in over thirty years. And now my dad wants us to fly down and see what stirred up the snowstorm. Could be a dragon. Could be Berserkers, though I don't know how. _

_ It looks like it's going to be a long trip, but for some reason Gobber isn't letting me in the forge. Said something about a secret project he's working on. He was singing before I got there, so he must be enjoying himself. Unfortunetly it means I can't get any spare parts for the tail fin. Dad said Johan would be able to get me what I'd need, but I doubt I'd be able to find him. It's a big ocean out there. _

_ I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll keep this journal to track what's been going on. I left Astrid in charge of the academy and asked Gobber to lend a hand in case the twins get out of control. _

"Well, at least we know where he comes from."

It had been an uncomfortably long day. While Olaf had liberated the book and papers from the dragon's now-confirmed saddle, he failed in distracting it so they could take the boy out of the room. He _did_ volunteer to go try again, however Orik voiced his displeasure at having the snowman do much else. After dismissing the attack force, Elsa then had to contend with the Mayor of Arendelle for an explanation as to why more than half the castle's servants were not in the castle. Mercifully she remembered the lessons from her father about dealing with delicate situations. While the mayor hadn't been pleased, he relented after she re-admitted the staff.

Returning to her study, Elsa was shocked to discover that her workload had nearly doubled in volume. Time waited for no queen, and Arendelle wasn't going to stop just because a dragon had decided to come visit. Just to add to her headache, a letter from the Southern Isles had arrived, announcing the coming of not one, but _three_ of its princes to "better discuss the rumors surrounding the conduct of Prince Hans."

Elsa had pounded her head against the mahogany desk. _Rumors_? Of course rumors. No sovereign kingdom would ever willingly admit that a precious son of the ruling family would ever do anything wrong. Of course two attempts at regicide would merely be swept under the rug by a family as noble and royal as the House of the Southern Isles. She had sent a handwritten letter with the French ambassador that thoroughly detailed Hans' transgressions against Arendelle. The ambassador even swore to bear witness against the prince's actions during the coronation.

It was days like today that made Elsa wish she could leave the crown in her sister's lap and run back to her ice palace.

However, like she had always done, Elsa took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. Yes, the Southern Isles had done irreparable harm to her and Anna. But as her father told her, every side must be told. If they came before her in peace, she would hear what they had to say. It was her duty as queen. Now if only she could convince Anna of the same.

After several hours of knowing her way through the mountain of papers, during which the sun had dipped down past the horizon, Elsa's curiosity got the better of her. She opened the book Olaf had given her and read through the first page. A blizzard from the south? Freezing the ocean? Elsa couldn't help but feel guilty as she rose from her chair. She walked over to one of the bookshelves in the room and pulled out an atlas. She placed the book onto the server underneath her father's portrait and opened it up.

The atlas had probably not seen use since her father's fateful voyage. The spine creaked loudly and the pages stuck together as she flipped through the maps. Drawing on her suspicion, she looked north of Arendelle. Up in the frigid waters of the north sea, numerous islands dotted the otherwise empty waters. Illustrations of great sea serpents filled the blanks in-between. There, amidst a small cluster of islands labeled only as The Northern Archipeligo, was a small spit of land whose name could just barley be made out.

The island the dragon had come supposedly come from.

Berk.

Elsa's mouth grew dry as she eyed the vast stretch between Arendelle and the island. "Even the fastest ship could have barely made that voyage in a month." Obviously the dragon had wings, so it must have flown. But how fast could it go, and for how long? Even the mightiest steed could only gallop for so long. All creatures needed rest. And surely the rider must have made stops somewhere along the route? Yet they arrived undetected and unnoticed by anyone.

Three sharp knocks sounded at the door to the study. "Your highness," Kai's muffled voice came through the wood. "Princess Anna and Ice Master Kristoff to see you."

"Please come in. You as well Kai." Elsa turned from the atlas to the door, expecting her sister to bounce in brimming with energy and prepared to tackle this problem. What she didn't expect was the half-dead looking Anna, dragging her feet next to Kristoff, who looked like he'd try to swim through every ounce of dirt between the valley and the castle?

"My God, what happened?"

"Don't ask." Kristoff's voice was flat and spoke of weariness. Even after his hardest days harvesting, Elsa had never seen him look this tired.

"Trolls, singing, tried to marry us. Again." Anna rested her forehead against a bookshelf. She had ruined her dress; mud streaks and grass stains littered the torn fabric. Her braids were undone and messy. Elsa could only imagine what her mother would have said if she saw Anna now.

"I must apologize for my kin's reaction. We are most sensitive to emotions, and they are quite fond of Kristoff." A gruff, yet familiar voice came from the bag Kristoff had over his shoulder. The hairs on Elsa's neck stood on end as it began to move of its own accord. He placed it down on the floor, and out popped a face Elsa hadn't seen in thirteen years.

The troll elder had towered over her when she was eight. Now their places had been reversed, yet Elsa still felt as if she was cowering underneath him. The troll waddled out of Kristoff's bag and bowed to Elsa. "It is good to see you again your highness."

"Elder, thank you for coming" Elsa dipped into a short curtsey. "I'm afraid things are beginning to spiral out of control."

"From what Anna and Kristoff told me, they don't appear to be that bad just yet."

"Ok, I'm sorry Elsa, but I _really_ need to take a bath." Anna scratched the back of her head, sending a small pile of dirt onto the carpeted floor.

"I think both of you do." Elsa replied, inclining her head to the likewise filthy ice farmer.

"Sorry." He muttered, blushing brightly.

"I want to speak with the elder for a moment. I'll wait until you two clean up. Then we can do something about this dragon." Though she looked tired, Anna's eyes sparkled momentarily.

"Right, we'll do it together." She grabbed Kristoff by the arm and dragged him out of the study, leaving Kai there at the doorway.

"Kai, please go down to the library. See what information we might have on an island called Berk."

"Berk?" Elsa motioned to the atlas.

"Apparently our traveler kept a journal of his flight. It's in the Northern Archipelago." She handed him said journal. "And see what other information you might be able to glean from this."

"At once your highness." He accepted the book and marched out of the room, closing the door behind him. Elsa found herself alone with the same troll who had saved her sister, not once but twice.

"Elder, I" she hesitated, not quite sure how to approach the situation. While she had spoken with influential people before, she's never spoken with one with whom her family owed a blood debt. However, the troll held up a hand.

"Please, just Grand Pabbie. I get enough of the elder business back at home." He waddled across the floor, stopping to admire the portrait of her late father. "Again I apologize for my kin. They adore Kristoff, and sometimes get a little too excited for him."

"How do you know Kristoff?" Elsa asked, standing next to the diminutive creature. "The night your father brought you and Anna to us, young Kristoff and Sven wandered into the valley. Alone in the world, we took it upon ourselves to raise him."

"He was there, when you spoke with me?" Pabbie nodded.

"He did witness it, but didn't hear what we said. And we asked him not to reveal what he saw to anyone."

Unwanted memories began churning in Elsa's mind, like the sea stirred up by a gale. She remembered just how small Anna had been. How cold she felt, and just how still she'd been while Elsa shook her, begging her to wake up.

"Grand Pabbie," the question tumbled from her mouth before she could stop it. "Was there anything else you could have done that night?" The troll turned and looked up at Elsa.

"No Elsa, I could not have removed your magic. Not then, and not now."

"I, I didn't mean." She did and she knew it. It had been one of her many fantasies though the lonely thirteen years she'd spent in isolation. If the trolls could remove the magic from her sister, why not from her? Remove every trace of the damned thing and let her live normal. A lump formed in her throat as Grand Pabbie scaled the side of her desk and sat on its edge.

"Your highness, magic is a fickle thing. It dwells in the world, in rocks and trees, in the water and sky. And rarely, in the hearts of man and woman."

With a wave of his hand, he conjured an image of Elsa, her silhouette hanging in the air. "Your magic was a part of you at birth. It resides in the very core of your body and spirit." A small snowflake appeared where Elsa's heart would be. "You remember I asked your father if you had been born with the gift, or cursed with it, yes? If a witch had put the magic inside you while you were a baby, then I could have removed it. However, your magic is a cornerstone of your very existence. It is as much a part of you and any part of your body would be."

"Like the dragon and its fire?" Elsa didn't know where she drew the parallel, but the fire breathing dragon seemed as magical as her powers did. Grand Pabbie nodded as a second silhouette appeared. This one was of a dragon, and at its center was a small tongue of fire.

"Those born with gifts such as these can exercise more control and finesse with it than anyone who has it given to them. However, if you were to remove it," A long, thin spike appeared in the air next to Elsa and the dragon. Without warning, it skewered them both through the heart. The snowflake and flame were pulled from their bodies. "It would kill you." The silhouettes vanished in a puff of smoke and dust.

Elsa couldn't help but gulp. "I thought you said there was no way to remove my magic?"

"There are dark rituals and artifacts designed to siphon magic from one host into another," Grand Pabbie explained. "However none exist to remove such magic without killing the original host." A shiver went down Elsa's spine at the thought of such a thing. "Do not dwell on such darkness your highness," the troll took Elsa's hand in his. "Such magic has not existed in this land for many a century." The thought did little to stem Elsa's trepidation, but she couldn't afford to dwell on such thoughts now.

"Thank you for informing me of this," Elsa replied. "It's given me much to think about." She sat back behind her desk. Desperately, she thought of a new topic. "What _do_ you know of dragons?"

"Well, they used to be a much more prolific race. However, mankind pushed them farther and farther north, save for a few isolated pockets. I myself have not laid eyes on a dragon in well over three hundred years."

"What do you think would have caused this dragon to come here?"

Grand Pabbie stroked his chin. "Dragons are creatures of intent. They are no mere dumb animals. Rest assured, this dragon arrived here with a purpose." "Do you think it has anything to do with the young man I found?" "From what Kristoff and Anna told me, yes, I agree. He must mean something to that dragon. We won't know for sure until we speak with him."

Elsa then remembered just what brought the boy to their land to begin with. "What of his fever?" Grand Pabbie chuckled.

"A simple cure. He should be awake within a day or two after I look at him."

"Good. Hopefully we can get some proper answers out of him." She then began to give Grand Pabbie a full recounting of events, starting from her ride only two days ago. She described the symptoms he showed, as well as details of the dragon that ran through the castle. The troll sat through the recounting, sparsely asking questions. Elsa didn't know how long they sat there talking, but it was long enough for Anna to return from her bath.

"Grand Pabbie, is everything alright?" The ginger princess asked. Kristoff was right behind her, the couple having changed out of their filthy clothes into more suitable wear.

"Yes, I believe we are ready."

"Good. What are we going to do about that dragon?" Kristoff asked as his brow furrowed.

"If I remember correctly, I may have a few things that will keep him occupied." He nodded back.

"Good. Anna, please stay here."

"_What_!" Anna rounded on Kristoff, prodding him hard in the chest. "Oh no, we talked about this already?"

"When did we talk about you facing a dragon?"

"After the kick line."

"No, we were talking about distracting my family after the kick line."

"Oh don't you start that reverse psychology with me young man."

"I'm older than you!"

"They're like a pair of children." Elsa muttered as Grand Pabbie hopped off the desk.

"Kristoff, Anna." He stepped between the two of them and poked them both in the knees. Instantly, they crumpled to the ground. "Now that that's settled, I believe it is the queen's decision on who will join us." Elsa extended a hand to Anna.

"I would appreciate it if the two of you come with us. You can never have too many eyes."

"Yes but," Kristoff picked himself to his feet. "But that thing already attacked her."

"And last I checked, you tried driving a pike through his head."

"Alright, allow me to lay down the law." Elsa stepped between them. "Either you both come, or you both stay." The squabbling duo looked at her, then at each other.

"Just be careful feistypants." He muttered.

"Only if you're more careful."

"Excellent." Grand Pabbie jumped into Kristoff's pack. "Your highness, please lead the way."

Their trip through the castle was quiet and unhindered. The staff were like mice, unseen and unheard. No one wanted to dwell for too long, what with the dragon's presence still felt in the castle. Captain Orik had dismissed the guards he originally posted, in favor of Elsa creating a second ice barrier at the mouth of the hallway. She dropped this, as well as the one in front of the actual room. Inside, nothing much had changed. The dragon still lay coiled around the unconscious boy, only stirring when the small party had crossed the threshold.

Its vivid green eyes peeked out at them in the dark. Though its pupils were still dilated, it still furrowed its brow and growled. It knew they were there. "Greetings fire drake." Grand Pabbie climbed out of Kristoff's pack and dropped to the floor. "You are a truly formidable creature. Tell me, what is it that you seek?" The dragon dropped to the floor and barred its teeth at the troll.

"Grand Pabbie." Kristoff made a move to intercept the reptile, though Pabbie held up a hand.

"It's alright. He's merely guarding the boy."

Anna peeked out from underneath Kristoff's arm. "Wait, you can talk to him." Grand Pabbie extended a hand toward the dragon.

"Animals speak a different tongue than humans. Rather than using words and sentences to convey emotion, they speak with emotion itself. The only hard part is understanding which emotion they're showing."

"And what does our guest have to say?" Elsa asked. Silence hung in the air as troll and dragon stared at each other. Slowly, Elsa saw the dragon's eyes soften and its lips close over its teeth.

Grand Pabbie slowly nudged closer to the dragon, until it dipped its head and allowed him to place his hand upon its snout.

"I mean you no harm." His voice was firm and gave no evidence of wavering. "I am here to heal." Elsa looked upon the sight before her. After a night and day of fearing for the lives of her people, here was this same dragon as docile as a newborn kitten. Keeping contact with Pabbie, the dragon looked up at Elsa. Once again, their eyes met. This time however, she was not staring into the eyes of a mindless killer. The green fields that gazed back at her revealed something different.

Desperation, sadness, fear. The fear of losing someone. Elsa didn't know how she could tell, but deep down, she remembered those eyes reflected back at her once before.

Her own eyes, the same eyes she'd seen every day for thirteen long years.

A shiver made its way down her spine. Where she once saw a threat to her people, now she saw a guardian. How was it different than her, she who took up arms to fight what she thought was an invader and threat to her kingdom. To her sister. The dragon broke contact, both with her and with Grand Pabbie. It passed a glance over Anna and Kristoff before slinking away from the bed. "Now to work." He clambered up onto the bed and opened up the small satchel on his hip.

Elsa allowed the sound of the working troll to fade into the background. She stood at the bedside, her eyes passing over the bulky form half-hidden in the shadows. Though she could see herself reflected in the beast's eyes, the rest of him still gave her room for caution. She saw the fire that erupted from its throat, the tail that knocked some of her best soldiers off their feet. Though Grand Pabbie spoke of protecting, Elsa couldn't shake the memories of Kristoff being blasted across the room, of the shriek of fear that had spurred her to save her sister.

She could see herself reflected in the dragon in the shadows. To some, she was a guardian angel; a protector for whom she would lay her life for country and family. But to others, she was a demon most foul. She inspired terror and fear in those who did not understand her. And she still did not understand this creature.

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Spooky. Bit more world building here. Don't worry, Hiccup's coming soon.

Lot of people left signed reviews this time, so as far as replies go:

**Still** **Impressed: **Anna 'was' a bit OOC for that, but considering how jolted she was after the dragon attack, I can't blame her. I saw Anna's confidence when dealing with Elsa born of her knowing how to deal with her. Considering she wouldn't know how to deal with a DRAGON, she loses some of that. I create characters with a purpose, even if that purpose is mostly exposition. If they can serve their purpose longer, they'll be fleshed out a bit more here and there. Olaf is both the easiest and hardest to write for. He's easy since he's kinda dumb, but lighthearted. He's hard because it's WAY too easy to turn that into something less like the original character. I don't think I'll be using him much, at least until get more comfortable with using him.

BTW, if anyone's also on TV Tropes, my troper handle is Anemoi. In case anyone wants to chat.


	6. Chapter 6

So here we go again. Six weeks, six chapters. Not bad. I'm really getting into this.

Show me you are too.

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Disjointed, unknown flashes danced across his vision. The twins pounding each other into the paved stones of the academy. His father resting his hand on his shoulder. Two ships on the water whose sails foreshadowed trouble. The mountaintop.

The woman standing over him.

He was lying on his back, that much he knew. However he couldn't be back home, what lay underneath him was far too soft to be his bed. It was as if someone had captured a cloud and wrapped it in a blanket. He opened his eyes and was greeted to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking around, the entire room he was in was unfamiliar. It was bigger than his entire house, too lavishly decorated to be anywhere near Berk. The lack of animal pelts, weapons, and other Viking decorations was enough to tip him off. The only familiar sight was the large, black mound curled up in the corner.

"Toothless?" His throat was dry, his voice was raspy. However the black mound shifted to reveal a reptilian head with two familiar green eyes. "Toothless, bud, where are we?" The dragon barked and bounded across the room. He leapt up onto the bed and licked the entire front of his trainer. The sensation of the dragon's tongue across his body was enough to wake him up.

"Ok, where's my shirt?" Hiccup asked himself. He sat up, pushing the blankets off his naked chest. Toothless continued to purr as he snaked his body around Hiccup's. He took another look around the room, spotting both his green shirt and flying harness lying on a chair. Whoever brought him in here must have removed it, wherever 'here' was. "Bud, where are we?" He pushed himself out of the incredibly soft bed and walked over to his clothes, pleased that he still had only one fake leg.

Toothless jumped off the bed and began grunting and growling, pantomiming shooting his fire and lashing his tail. Hiccup liked to consider himself familiar with the antics of his dragon, but unfortunately the explanation was lost to him. "Ok, so something bad happened?" Toothless shot him an indignant look, one Hiccup was familiar with ever since the incident with Torch. "Ok, so something bad _did_ happen." He clutched the side of his head. "Jeeze, that was one hell of a storm." Brief flashes of him being tossed about by the wind, rain lashing at his back, the sight of Toothless' tail… His tail?

"Oh that's wonderful." He sighed, looking at the tip of Toothless' tail. The prosthetic which he had made was gone completely, along with the chain of control rods that ran the length of the dragon's tail. "The storm did all this?" He muttered, running his hand over the empty space where the tail fin usually was. "Oh bud." He knew he should have taken the extra parts, regardless of Gobber's little project. Now they were stuck in wherever they were with no way to get home.

Hiccup was snapped out of his mental funk by the sound of angry voices just outside the room. He watched as several silhouettes moved about behind a door made of some sort of blue material. "Toothless, what did you do?" He whispered to the dragon. Before he could reach for his shield, the door opened. A somewhat elderly man walked in, dressed in a green buttoned-up coat and black trousers. His red hair was streaked with grey and his coat did not hide the small pudge in his belly. He closed the door behind him and turned to Hiccup and Toothless.

"I see you're awake young sir. The queen said you'd be up sometime today."

"Umm, well I just." Queen? A queen? They were in hot water.

"Your pet gave us all quite the scare I must say." The pit in Hiccup's stomach plummeted right to his foot.

"Oh no, did he attack anyone?" He turned to Toothless, who simply shot him another look before returning his attention to the man at the door.

"No one was permanently injured, however the queen would like to speak with you about it."

"It? You mean Toothless?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Toothless?"

"Yeah, it's his name." Silence rang throughout the room.

"A most peculiar name, I must say." Hiccup shrugged.

"It just stuck with him."

"Indeed. Now, if you would follow me mister…"

"Hiccup."

The sound of a cawing crow could be heard from outside.

"Hiccup?"

"Yes?" Why were they making a big deal out of this?

"Hiccup and Toothless?"

"Yeah…" He watched as the man mulled everything over.

"Very well Mr… Hiccup. If you would follow me." He made a motion to follow the man, but was stopped when Toothless jumped in front of him.

"Toothless, what?"

"Is there a problem?" The man suddenly was on alert, eyeing the dragon closely.

"No, it's just, bud what's the matter?" Hiccup brought Toothless' face up to his. The dragon's green eyes were watery, looking at him as if it was the last time he'd see his rider again.

"Toothless," he ran a hand over his scaly nose. "These people aren't Berserkers or Outcasts. They helped me." He head butted the Viking. "I'll be fine. It's not like I haven't gotten out of worse scrapes." They held each others' gaze momentarily, before Toothless seemed to relent. He curled up in a ball, looking at Hiccup one last time before sweeping his tail over his face. Hiccup patted his side before turning back to the man. "Sorry, he gets a little antsy in strange places."

"Should that be a problem?"

"Just as long as no one bothers him, he'll be fine." Hiccup followed the man out the door, sparing Toothless one final look before it shut behind him.

"So, where exactly am I?" Hiccup asked. He must have been in some sort of castle, considering that the lavish décor continued on down the hall.

"Arendelle."

"Arendelle," he repeated the strange word. "That's weird, I've never heard of it."

"Yes, well we have never seen a real dragon before. I'd imagine we are far separated from each other." Hiccup could only imagine the likes of his father, the twins, or Snotloud in such an admittedly beautiful place.

"Farther than you'd think." He admitted.

The path they took was a rabbit's warren of twists and turns. Hiccup lost his sense of direction, striving to keep up with his guide.

"So, what's your name?" Hiccup attempted to make small talk. "

I am Kai, advisor to her majesty Queen Elsa."

"Oh. So, is there a king?"

"Unfortunately the last king, the queen's father, died three years ago."

"Oh." The pit in Hiccup's stomach returned, spurred on by small, fragmented memories. His thoughts then turned to his saddlebags.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, I was just thinking about some of my supplies." He prayed that the small sack was still attached to the saddle. Hearing Kai's footsteps, Hiccup snapped from his daze and followed him. "So, when do I get to meet this queen?"

"Her highness is currently speaking with the bishop." Kai replied. "She thought you'd be hungry, however." Hiccup then realized that the growing pit in his stomach was actually hunger pangs.

"Yes, yes I am. You have any boar?" If Kai had been surprised by Hiccup's request, he didn't show it.

"No, I requested the kitchens prepare more, adequate, breakfast affair."

The young Viking shrugged, was there really a difference? Food was food. Still, these people had cared for him while he was sick, and most likely angry at Toothless for supposedly attacking. Better to play by their rules rather than run the risk of upsetting them. Kai stopped in front of a door that led into a decent sized room. At the center stood a table, surrounded by six chairs. The woodwork on the pieces were intricate; vines and leaves were interwoven around delicate blossoms. The chairs each had mounds of red velvet cushions and the table sported a pure white, embroidered table cloth. "Wow, fancy." The comment stumbled out of Hiccup's mouth before he could stop it. Kai didn't seem to notice. He reached over to a shelf and rang a small bell.

A woman, pushing a cart stepped through a hidden door in the wall. On it was a steaming bowl of porridge, a large pitcher of milk with a glass, and a plate of bread with a small bowl of butter. "I shall inform Queen Elsa of your presence. In the meantime, do eat." He turned on his heel and departed, leaving Hiccup alone with the food. Hiccup licked his lips as he sat down. He quickly dug into the oatmeal, savoring the taste and texture of the first food he'd had in three days.

It was surprisingly sweet. It had the same taste as the porridge back home, but there was something in it that made him lick the inside of his mouth, searching for that strange yet delicious flavor. Taking another look into the bowl, he decided it had something to do with the brown dust sprinkled in. Hiccup turned his chair away from the table, placing the bowl in his lap. He kicked another chair out and lifted his left leg onto it. He sighed and rubbed his knee. His joints were stiff from lack of use and his leg felt heavy. He hadn't taken it off recently and could feel the throb of his joint underneath the bound wood. Maybe after talking to the queen he could ask for some cold water and a cloth to wrap his stump in.

Hiccup's eyes wandered over the room he sat in. Like the room he woke up in and the hallway he'd walked through, this was covered in ornate wood paneling and colorful tapestries. He must have been in this queen's castle. He really hoped Toothless hadn't done anything _too_ bad. Since he hadn't woken up in chains, he figured that she'd be willing to discuss things. Maybe he could get the material he needed for a new tail? He might still be an apprentice, but six years experience working with metal and leather must be worth something to these people.

"I'm watching you." Hiccup hadn't heard the door click open.

"Umm, hello." A young woman was sticking he head in through the doorjamb. Her face was scrunched up in a supposedly intimidating glare, though the effect was somewhat spoiled by her ginger braids that framed her face. It reminded Hiccup of back when Gustav was trying to become a trainer; cute but not intimidating.

"Don't make any sudden moves dragon boy."

She pushed the door the rest of the way open. Intimidating was the last word Hiccup would use to describe her. Admittedly, she was just a little bit taller than him, but considering she was wearing a pastel green dress with all manner of flowers on it, Hiccup felt he was looking at a walking garden rather than a young woman.

"Is that my new name now?" He ate another spoonful of porridge.

"I'll ask the questions here." Yeah, still not intimidating. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Eating." She quickly crossed the gap between him and the door.

"What is your name?"

"Hiccup"

"Gesundheit."

"Excuse me?"

"That's what I said."

"No you didn't."

The woman pointed her finger at him. "You think you're smart. But you're not. You're dumb. Very dumb. And you've met your match in me." She paused "Wait what?"

That did it for Hiccup. He put the bowl back on the table and started snickering. There was just something so absurd about this entire situation. The sinkers soon developed into full on laughter as Hiccup rolled out of his chair and onto the floor.

"Hey, hey it's not funny!" The woman shouted, stamping her feet like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Will you listen to me while I interrogate you!" Hiccup grabbed his stomach and laughed harder.

"Anna, I don't think this is what I had in mind when I asked you to talk with the lad." Hiccup's laughter petered off as he looked up for the source of the new voice. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Standing in the doorway was quite possibly the most intimidating woman he'd ever seen. From his position on the floor, she towered over him, though she was just level with the ginger-haired woman. She her blouse was a light cerulean blue and the dress around her waist was a much deeper navy. Around the hem were stitched patterns of snowflakes dancing in the wind. Looking up at her face, Hiccup suddenly felt as if he was out of his league. The woman's face was smooth and unblemished, as if chiseled from solid rock. Her hair was the same color as snow, only a shade lighter than her skin. It was brought together at the back of her head, leaving nothing to dangle in her face. To Hiccup, it was like staring at a glacier; more beautiful than he could imagine, but deadlier than a flight of angry Nightmares.

"May I ask who it is I am speaking to?" Her voice cut right to the quick. Hiccup quickly picked himself up to his feet.

"Hiccup," he whispered. Realizing that she probably didn't even hear him, he repeated. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, The Third. Of Berk." He never used his full name. Gods why did he just use his full name?

"Hiccup," she didn't allow any emotion to betray her face. The only movements were her lips and eyes, carefully looking him over. "I am Queen Elsa, ruler of Arendelle."

Oh Thor strike him down. She motioned a hand to the woman standing next to her. "My sister, Princess Anna." Scratch that. Thor PLEASE obliterate the ground upon which he stood.

Hiccup felt his palms grow sweaty. _Say something you idiot._

"Nice weather we're having." _Something besides that!_

"Yes," the queen replied. "Though we seemed to have run into a bit of trouble two days ago." She motioned with her hand to the table. Hiccup took the hint and almost collapsed back into the chair. Queen Elsa and the princess sat across from him. "I'm curious, Hiccup of Berk, what brings you to Arendelle?"

"Well," he hesitated. His reason seemed logical, but who would believe he wandered this far south chasing weather patterns. "You see, it, bit of a long," He was unsure of how to begin. Buying for time and inspiration, he reached out and shoved a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth. The mash was still a bit warm, jarring his senses and clearing his mind somewhat. He swallowed it just as quickly and began speaking.

"You have to understand, your highness, I didn't come here to attack anyone. Me and Toothless, my dragon, we're here by accident." Princess Anna looked like she was about to say something when the queen put a hand on her arm. "About a month ago, Berk was stuck in the middle of a deep freeze, deeper than anything we'd seen before. It was so cold, the ocean froze over." Hiccup mentally decided to pass over the Speed Stinger invasion. If these people were so freaked out over one dragon, they'd never believe him. "My father, Stoik the Vast, asked me and Toothless to fly south to try and find out what caused it."

"I see," the queen agreed. "Please continue."

"So we flew for weeks, hopping our way down the chain of islands. I didn't have too good a map, considering no one on Berk has sailed this far south in ages. Finally we reached land about a week ago, but that's when the trouble started."

"What's trouble to a dragon?" The princess asked. "A rival tribe, made up of outcasts and deserters of a lot of tribes. They've had it in for me and Toothless for over a year now. We knew it was too dangerous to fly near the water, so we tried flying inland along a mountain range."

"You flew over the North Mountain?" The queen asked.

"No actually, we tried. We got caught in a massive storm, and I fell off Toothless."

It was the first reaction he got out of the queen. Her entire body shivered for a moment as she brought her hands together on the table. "How did you survive?"

"I don't know. One minute I'm trying to bring Toothless in for a landing, the next I'm in the middle of this forest, alone." Thinking back, it had been a horrifying thought. He almost didn't remember it for some reason, but now the memories came back crystal clear. The tall pines, the echoing sounds of his footsteps through the wilderness, the only answer to his cries for Toothless being his own mooching echo. "And, and that's all I remember."

He felt his heart pound in his chest. The princess looked anxious, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it. The queen, however, cleared her throat. "I found you wandering the forest two days after the storm. You were delirious with fever and had struck your head. I brought you back here, though that night your dragon jumped over the castle walls and broke into the castle."

"Oh gods." Hiccup wanted to run his hands through his hair. He knew Toothless was protective, but this was too much. "I, I am so sorry about – "

"Please," the queen held up a hand "I am not finished." Hiccup wisely shut his mouth. "There are members on my council who have been calling for the beast's blood. They see him as a threat, even though he did not seriously injure anyone." She leveled her gaze at Hiccup. "I do not believe in bloodshed, Hiccup of Berk. Your dragon did not kill anyone, so I have chosen to wait."

"Toothless wouldn't hurt anyone." Hiccup shouted.

"He hurt Kristoff." Princess Anna retorted.

"Ok, so maybe he gets a bit nervous around strange people." He admitted. "But he's really nice once you get to know him."

"If he is as nice as you say, then why did he attack my soldiers?"

Something clicked in Hiccup's mind. "Ok, hang on. You said he attacked your soldiers, right?" She nodded. "This is going to sound stupid, but did they have their weapons drawn?"

"How else would you face a dragon?" The princess asked.

"That explains everything," Hiccup stood up. "Don't you see, Toothless must have thought you kidnapped me!"

"Wait what?"

"How could a dragon come to such a conclusion?"

Hiccup began pacing, words bubbling up inside him. "Ok, so like I said, we saw an Outcast ship before we reached the mountain. Toothless and I have had run-ins with them, and they've tried kidnapping me before."

"You've been kidnapped?" The princess' face had gone from a contortion of anger to one of panic and fear.

"Three times, last I checked. Toothless is as smart as he is protective. I guess he thought you were all Outcasts. I can't see why." Hiccup tried smiling at the women in front of him. From their dignified stances to their ornate clothing, it was clear they had nothing to do with the unwashed, unpolished hoard that made up Alvin's Outcasts.

"But is the dragon a danger now?" The queen asked. She narrowed her eyes at Hiccup.

"Absolutely not. He can be a bit skittish, but as long as I'm around, he wouldn't hurt a fly." The royal siblings turned to each other. Not a word passed between them, but they seemed to understand what the other was trying to convey. They nodded at the same time as Queen Elsa rose from her chair.

"Then show me."

"Wait, you mean right now?" She wasn't putting him in chains, always a good thing. But most people were a bit more hesitant when it came to Toothless.

"I must know if this dragon really is an enemy of Arendelle. You will show me just how much you can keep it under control."

"_Us_," the princess stood up next to her sister. "You will show _us_."

* * *

Well that escalated quickly. Let me know if my characterizations are as good as they have been.


	7. Chapter 7

People seem to be enjoying this story. I will say that while I like the reviews, PM's DEMANDING I update RIGHT NAOW aren't helping. If this chapter seems a bit 'rushed' as far as some things go, its because I decided that if I don't resolve this conflict now, we'll be here till next year

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Hiccup wasn't entirely sure if this was going to work. Not that he didn't have faith in Toothless to not attack people. Rather, he was unsure if the queen's entourage could be trusted to not do something stupid. He didn't like the way that guard captain was eyeing him, not to mention the sheer amount of noise all the advisors who tagged along were making. He stood outside the blue door to the room where he had woken up, a basket of fish in one hand and well over a dozen people behind him.

Trying to play the odds in his favor, Hiccup placed the basket on the floor and turned around. "Ok, so I know this might sound a bit weird, but I'm going to need to lay some ground rules." The first person he drew attention from was the guard captain. The man narrowed his gaze at him, fingering the sword at his hip.

"And just what sort of rules are those, Viking?" He spat, emphasizing the last word as if it was an insult.

"Well, first of all, sir, Toothless kinda has a thing about strangers and weapons." This caught the attention of the queen's advisors.

"Preposterous," one of them shouted. "The damned thing will kill us all."

"It's a trick!" Another shouted. The trend continued with each man shouting accusations and threats against the boy and his dragon.

"We should have killed it when we had the chance."

"_QUIET!" _Hiccup jumped a little, making the spring in his false leg squeak with protest. For such a small woman, the princess was louder than Snotlout.

"Gentlemen," the queen instantly had her entourage in order. "This young man is here by my request. My father's law says that all who come before the court in peace may speak."

"Yes but your highness, that beast attacked us!"

"Us," the captain turned around. "Councilor, I do not remember seeing you the night the dragon broke in. You have said nothing supportive of her highness throughout the past two days."

"Thank you captain," the queen held out a hand to the man. "Hiccup of Berk had appealed to me, claiming that his dragon's actions were a misunderstanding. Therefore, I requested that he demonstrate how well trained it is." The queen glanced at him. Her back was rigid, her shoulders squared; nothing about her posture betrayed any emotion. Yet something in the furtive glance she gave him eased his stomach a small bit. She was truly giving him a chance. She was letting him speak his peace; something his father hadn't done the first time around.

Hiccup cleared his throat, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "Ok, so like I said, Toothless has a thing about strangers," he remembered his lectures at the dragon academy. "Dragons themselves have very protective instincts. I've seen it before. If you don't let him think you're a threat, he won't treat you like one." The princess looked at him. Unlike her sister, her hands were fidgeting and her eyes were darting around. She was the only one who showed actual fear. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup hefted the basket and opened the door.

"See bud, I told you I'd be ok." Immediately upon entering, Hiccup found Toothless right in his face. The dragon looked him over and sniffed him deeply, as if searching for any sign of danger. He quickly zeroed in on the fish basket. "Aha, I knew you'd be hungry." Hiccup declared as Toothless snatched a fish out with his teeth. Behind him, Hiccup could hear the sounds of disgust as the fish went whole down Toothless' gullet. Deciding to act before anyone else could, Hiccup nudged his dragon farther into the room, away from the door. He deposited the basket on the floor and allowed Toothless to help himself.

He turned back to the door. Behind him, the sounds of Toothless stuffing himself with raw fish. In front of him were a queen, her sister a princess, a captain of the guard, and a handful of dignitaries of a country that a week ago, he had no idea existed. The dignitaries themselves were all crowded in the hallway trying to catch a glimpse of Toothless, yet unwilling to step into the room itself. The captain of the guard and the queen stood in the doorway. The guard had his eyes trained on Toothless, as if waiting for the dragon to make one wrong move. The queen however, was watching someone else.

"So, does he just eat them whole like that?" Princess Anna had boldly stepped into the room. She was still wringing her hands together, eyes daring from Hiccup to Toothless, yet she still stepped forward.

"Most dragons do," Hiccup explained. "In fact, feeding is one of the key parts in dragon training." She stopped.

"Wait, what do you train them for?" Hiccup looked up at the queen. She focused her gaze on Hiccup, waiting for an answer. "Well for the most part, companionship." He reached over and scratched Toothless behind the ears. "He was the first real friend I made. I can't imagine my life without him."

"But, what do you _use_ them for?"

"Moving things, reconnaissance, transportation, rescue missions."

"You mean you actually _do_ fly them?"

In spite of the severity of the situation, Hiccup only had one thing to say. "Well I certainly didn't _swim_ all the way here from Berk."

The princess' cheeks reddened a bit as she scratched the back of her head. "Oh right, forgot about that." She looked again at Toothless, who pulled his head out of the basket. He looked at Hiccup, then at the princess, as if he hadn't realized the two had been talking about him. Princess Anna was within two arm lengths of Toothless; her previous courage having fled her, keeping her from taking the last few steps. Hiccup stepped forward and offered her his hand.

"It's alright." He said. "Just give me your hand."

"Wait what?"

"It's a sign of trust." He stroked Toothless on his snout. "Between dragon and rider. It shows him you're not a threat, and it shows that he can trust you."

"Him trust me?" The princess asked. Her hands were shaking, her breathing was quickening.

"A lot of dragons have reasons to fear humans. And when they're afraid, they lash out."

"Afraid?" Hiccup was stunned to see that the princess was starting to calm down. Her face began to relax as she turned around to face her sister. Hiccup saw the queen's lips move, but couldn't hear what she said. The two royals locked eyes and the queen nodded.

"Ok." Princess Anna turned back around and held out her hand. "What, what should I do?"

"Just put your hand on his snout. That's all it takes." He guided her hand towards Toothless, letting go just inches from Toothless' skin. He stepped away, she'd need to reach out to him on her own. Toothless seemed to notice the princess now. He didn't growl, bare his teeth, or offer any sign of hostility. Instead, he looked at the princess. Gently, he took a half a step forward. Just enough for his snout to touch the tips of her fingers.

The princess gasped. Her whole body shook with shock from the contact and she shut her eyes. However, she didn't pull away or scream. One eye squinted open as she delicacy ran her fingers along his snout. Hiccup watched as her smooth and somewhat small fingers navigated the bumps and ridges of Toothless' skin. It was so strange to him; yeah dragons were fierce, but it was as if she'd never gotten close to one before. Still, the princess grew bolder.

Her eyes opened up. They met Toothless'. Hiccup wasn't sure what was going on, but the dragon nudged forward slightly; just enough that the palm of the princess' hand was also touching him.

"Ha, ha-ha, I can't believe it." Her lips began to twitch up into a smile. "I, Elsa," she called out, turning her head. "I'm touching a dragon!" To Hiccup's immense relief, the queen smiled along with her sister. He couldn't tell the reactions of the others with her, but if the queen smiled, then it was a good sign.

"Nice job bud." Hiccup scratched behind one of his ear-flaps, eliciting a deep purr from his throat. Hiccup then turned to the saddle on Toothless' back; the saddle he had been wearing non-stop since they were separated. "C'mon, let's get this offa ya." He reached over and began unhooking the bags of possibly-ruined supplies strapped to his friend's back.

"So, do all dragons act like this?" Hiccup could still hear a hitch of fear in the princess' voice, but she was still petting Toothless.

"Well for the most part, but from what I've seen, Night Furies are some of the most intelligent." he placed two bags down onto the ground.

"Night Fury?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's what he is."

"I thought he was a dragon."

"Well that too, but his species is a Night Fury." Princess Anna took her hand off of Toothless.

"Wait what?"

"There are different species of dragon?" The queen had left her entourage at the doorway and strode over to her sister.

"Yeah. Gronkles, Nadders, Thunderdums, there's a dragon for every season and every occasion." Hiccup's former confidence faltered when he noticed that the royal sisters were starting to look worried.

"Hold on, just how many dragons _are_ there?" The princess asked.

"Are we talking individual dragons, or per-species?" It was an honest question; Fishlegs was still adding up the results of the last dragon census. Princess Anna raised a hand and opened her mouth, though her question died on her lips. The queen simply shook her head and continued.

"That is neither here, nor there," she looked at Toothless. "I must say, though, it certainly is fascinating."

"He." It was a pure reflex by now.

"_He_ is Toothless." The queen nodded.

"Yes, he is quite possibly the most exquisite creature I've seen."

"You know, now that he's not trying to kill us."

Hiccup looked at the queen. Her posture hadn't changed in the slightest, still stiff and composed. However, something in her eyes had softened. Where originally they reminded him of his father; cold, unforgiving, always sizing you up, now they were different. He didn't feel like she was trying to look _through _him. Now, she was looking at him with the same gaze Toothless gave him, that of a friend.

"I'm glad you see things that way your majesty." He bowed at the waist.

"Hey wow, you're awake!" Hiccup's ears twitched as a new voice entered the room.

"Oh Olaf, you know him?" Hiccup straightened his back and looked around. Even though he couldn't see the newcomer, the royal sisters were both smiling.

"Yeah, I like him. He's real warm." Hiccup smiled and returned to Toothless' saddle. Anyone that made the queen happy was fine with him.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh, your friend's awake!"

"Yeah, his name's Hiccup." The Viking pulled another sack off the saddle.

"Wow, that's the weirdest name I've ever heard." He snickered. Ruff and Tuff often used his size and name as a point of mockery, but this person had said it so genuine that he couldn't help but laugh. "But it's a good weird. Like Dinglehopper. It's unique." With the sack in his hands, Hiccup turned to meet the newcomer.

"Well I wouldn't say it's unique, but - " There was no one behind him. The only thing Hiccup could see was,

Was a small cloud floating at eye-level.

"Umm, I'm down here."

Hiccup tilted his head and froze. Standing in front of him was a small snowman, not unlike the ones the children made back on Berk. The only problem was that it hadn't been standing there before. "Umm, hold on a sec,"

"Why, do you need something?" Hiccup felt a jolt run through his system, as if he'd been struck by a Skrill. He saw lips moving. He saw arms bending. He heard words spoken. His mind began rattling off ideas, reasons, excuses to explain the phenomena he was witnessing. However all that went out the window as an arms was presented to him.

"Hi, I'm Olaf."

Naturally, Hiccup did what any brave Viking warrior would do.

"_WHY IS IT TALKING TO ME!_"

His entire body reacted at once. His arms flew up to his face and his legs catapulted him over the back of Toothless. He landed in a crumpled heap on the other side of his dragon.

"Oh, aurgh, what was that!" He shouted, struggling to return to his feet. With a rumbling groan, Toothless stood up and took a few steps backward. Hiccup's legs landed on the floor in an undignified heap, allowing him to take a better look at the, yes, talking snowman.

He propped himself up on his hands. Looking up at the royal sisters, he quickly realized that the situation had reversed. With one hand, he pointed at the snowman.

"W-what is that?" Princess Anna 'humphed' and placed her hands on her hips.

"That's Olaf."

"Olaf?" He let his hand drop. "How is he doing that talking thing?"

"I can do this too." To Hiccup's horror, the snowman brought both hands up to its head and _picked it up off its shoulders_. Hiccup felt his next word die in a raspy wheeze that was forced past his lips. "See, neat huh?"

"Umm, Olaf, I don't think that's helping." The queen told it, placing a hand on the top of his head and forcing it back onto its shoulders. She then walked over to him and offered him a hand. "Hiccup, please know that this was not my intended plan." While his hand was still shaking, he reached out and took the offered support. The queen's hand felt cold, like she had forgotten to wear mittens in the middle of winter. Putting some of his weight on the queen, he pulled himself to his feet.

"How, how, HOW could this be a plan," he asked, his old stammer coming back to haunt him. "What, how, he, what?"

"Hiccup of Berk," the queen's official-sounding statement ground Hiccup's mental gears to a halt. She took a deep breath. "While I do not believe in fate, I do not think that you coming to Arendelle is simple coincidence."

"Why not?" He asked.

Instead of answering, the queen extended her hand, palm up. A nimbus of snowflakes and ice began to dance in the air over her hand. "Because your quest has come to an end."

()()()

After reading and hearing about the Viking's reason for coming to Arendelle, Elsa was more hesitant than ever about revealing her powers. His journal was sparse on the details of the frozen ocean, but island nations were more dependent on sea trade than her own. She was responsible for any damages and deaths caused by the ice, a prospect that did not sit well with her. Now, looking at the young lad standing in front of her and very much afraid, she had another reason to be apprehensive about her powers.

"You, what," She canceled the magic.

"Please, I allow me to explain."

"Ice, snow," he glanced down at Olaf. "Talking snowman!"

"Yeah, it's a bit much to take in." It was then that Elsa saw realization dawn over Hiccup.

"You, you froze the ocean?"

"Please Hiccup,"

"It was my fault." Elsa's braid smacked against the side of her head with the momentum at which her head spun around to face her sister.

"But, but she has the ice powers." Hiccup pointed out, motioning a shaky hand to Elsa.

"Yes, however if I hadn't confronted my sister the way I did, she would not have lashed out with her powers."

"Anna?" Elsa whispered. Never once in the past month would Elsa have pinned the blame of the Summer of Frost on her sister, most certainly not in front of what could be called a foreign dignitary.

"Lashed, she lashed out at you?"

"It is complicated, but know that the frozen waters were a misfortunate byproduct of internal politics. And for that," Anna dipped into a full curtsey. "You have our most profound apologies."

It was the first time Elsa had ever seen Anna act as a true princess. For a moment, she could see the dignity and grace her mother had possessed. A smile worked its way to Elsa's face. "Hiccup of Berk," she turned back to her Viking guest. "I must say that I am ashamed that we have not been able to properly come to terms. You have shown me that Arendelle need not fear your dragon, and that we have wrongs to right against your people." Hiccup drew one arm around to scratch the elbow of the other.

"Well, it's not. I wouldn't go to say that really. I mean, no one died."

"Oh, that's always good to hear." Olaf announced.

"Regardless, I must speak with my advisors." Elsa clapped her hands twice. Kai opened the door and stepped inside. "Please feel free to make use of this room. If you have need of anything, please speak with Kai or one of the other servants."

"Um, thank you your highness." Hiccup offered a short bow. "I need to look through my stuff, see what survived the storm. And I think I need to speak with a blacksmith about a few things."

"We shall make the proper arrangements." With that, Elsa turned toward the door.

She could already hear her advisors arguing. She could imagine that many spoke of her sister's admittance of guilt, or over Olaf's sudden intrusion. She already had the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind. As queen, she had to think of a great deal of things at once, not the least of which included a very thick ledger filled with guard rotations and watch times. If she could make peace with this rider and dragon, then she could help further guarantee Arendelle's safety from the raiders that Captain Orik spoke of.

But for now, she had to speak with Bishop Thomas about Friday, and the memorial to be held.

* * *

As far as updates go, everyone's gonna have to take a chill pill. I wanted to update this chapter now, but further FF updates are going to be a while. I have other commitments on this site, and its high time I return to Uminari City.

STAND BY READY, SET UP!


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